___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VISUAL SEARCH ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 01-24-2014 last updated: 03-03-2022 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 03-03-2022 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements a Visual Search paradigm used in a 'Threat' context. Reference: Becker. M.W. (2009). Panic Search: Fear Produces Efficient Visual Search for Nonthreatening Objects. Psychological Science, 20, 435-437. Note: this script runs with placeholder stimuli ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After the presentation of one of three cue types (happy, fearful, neutral) participants are presented a search screen with 3, 6 or 9 pictures randomly arranged in a circle and are asked to indicate as fast as possible whether a target picture (e.g. picture of a house) is present or not. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 22 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA FILE INFORMATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The default data stored in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'visualsearch_raw*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant) build: The specific Inquisit version used (the 'build') that was run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) date, time: date and time script was run subject, group: with the current subject/groupnumber session: with the current session id blockcode, blocknum: the name and number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) trialcode, trialnum: the name and number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) Note: trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run; even those that do not store data to the data file such as feedback trials. Thus, trialnum may not reflect the number of main trials run per block. cuecondition: 1 = happy, 2= fearful, 3 = neutral trialtype: targetpresent vs. targetabsent setsize: stores current setsize cueitem: stores the current cue target: stores the current target item response: the participant's response (scancode of response button) reponseKey: the translated response scancode responsetype: Hit, Miss, FA (False Alarm), CR (Correct Rejection) correct: the correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = otherwise) latency: the response latency in ms; measured from onset of images stimulilocations: stores the distractor/target itemnumbers and their circle positions (position 1 => 12 o'clock position, then clockwise) (2) Summary data file: 'visualsearch_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant) inquisit.version: Inquisit version run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) startDate: date script was run startTime: time script was started subjectid: assigned subject id number groupid: assigned group id number sessionid: assigned session id number elapsedTime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted); 1 = script was completed (all conditions run) propcorrect_overall: proportion correct across all test trials meanRT_overall: mean correct latency (in ms) across all test trials propcorrect_cue1: proportion correct across all cue1 test trials meanRT_cue1: mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue1 test trials propcorrect_cue2: proportion correct across all cue2 test trials meanRT_cue2: mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue2 test trials propcorrect_cue3: proportion correct across all cue3 test trials meanRT_cue3: mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue3 test trials ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Design: 3 cue types (happy, fearful, neutral) x 3 set sizes (3, 6, 9) x 2 trialtypes (target present vs. target absent), tested within By default, the 3 cue types are run in a blocked design with 108 trials each (Becker, 2009) => 18 trials per setsize x trialtype condition The order of the blocks is counterbalanced by groupnumber (see EXPERIMENT). Set size, trialtype, and distribution of distractors/targets are randomized within each block. cues: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 6 possible pictures per cue type; after 6 random drawings the pool resets. targets: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 38 targets (default); after 38 random drawings the pool resets. distractors: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 46 distractors (default); after 46 random drawings the pool resets. Practice: this script offers a practice block of parameters.practicetrials trials (default: 10). It runs parameters.practicetrials in a mixed design and provides error feedback. NOTE: In this script, the task could also be run in a mixed design by setting parameters.blockedcues = false (section Editable Parameters) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script runs with PLACEHOLDER STIMULI. Insert your stimuli under item.cue1/item.cue2/item.cue3 and item.distractors and item.targets. Targets and distractors are arranged in a circle with 9 possible positions. To fine tune presentation of the distractor/target display circle on different monitors, check section Editable Parameters -> parameters.pictureheight/parameters.radiusscreenproportion ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Instructions are provided by Millisecond Software and are not original to Becker (2009). They can be easily edited under section Editable Instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EDITABLE CODE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ check below for (relatively) easily editable parameters, stimuli, instructions etc. Keep in mind that you can use this script as a template and therefore always "mess" with the entire code to further customize your experiment. The parameters you can change are: Responsekeys: /responsekey_targetpresent: the target present responsekey (default: "Y"), the left response key /responsekey_targetabsent: the target absent responsekey (default: "N"), the right response key /blockedcues: true: the three cue types are run in a blocked design (default -> Becker, 2009) false: the three cue types are run in a mixed design /trialnumber: the number of visual searches per block /fontsize: the font height (percentage of canvas height) of the Ready cue (default: 10%) /fontsize_fixation the font height (percentage of canvas height) of the fixation cross (default: 5%) /cueheight: the height of the cue picture (percentage of canvas height) (default: 30%) Note: fine-tune display of target/distractor circle by editing these parameters below: /pictureheight: the height of the target/distractor pictures (percentage of canvas height) (default: 15%) /radiusscreenproportion: the radius of the circle proportional to canvas height (default: 0.4) Duration Parameters: /readyduration: duration of ready hint in ms (default: 750ms) /cueduration: duration of cues in ms (default: 300ms) /fixationduration: duration of fixation cross in ms (default: 600ms)