trial element

The trial element controls the timing and the content of stimulus presentation.

Syntax

<trial trialname>
/ branch = (type.name.property, operator, value, next)
/ correctmessage = false or true(stimulusname, duration)
/ correctresponse = ("character", "character",...) or (scancode, scancode, ...) or (stimulusname, stimulusname, ...) or (mouseevent, mouseevent, ...) or (joystickevent, joystickevent, ...) or ("word, word, ...") or (keyword)
/ errormessage = false or true(stimulusname, duration)
/ inputdevice = modality
/ numframes = integer
/ posttrialpause = integer or variable
/ posttrialsignal = (modality, signal)
/ pretrialpause = integer or variable
/ pretrialsignal = (modality, signal)
/ recorddata = boolean
/ response = responsename or timeout(milliseconds) or window(center, width, stimulusname) or responsemode
/ responseframe = integer
/ responseinterrupt = mode
/ responsemessage = (responsevalue, stimulusname, duration)
/ responsetime = integer
/ responsetrial = (response, trialname)
/ stimulusframes = [framenumber = stimulusname, stimulusname, ...; framenumber = stimulusname, ...] or [framenumber = selectionmode(stimulusname, stimulusname, stimulusname, ...)]
/ stimulustimes = [time = stimulusname, stimulusname, ...; time = stimulusname, ...] or [time = selectionmode(stimulusname, stimulusname, stimulusname, ...)]
/ timeout = integer or variable
/ trialcode = "string"
/ trialdata = [stimulusname, stimulusname, stimulusname, "string" "string", "string"]
/ trialduration = integer or variable
/ validresponse = ("character", "character",...) or (scancode, scancode, ...) or (stimulusname, stimulusname, ...) or (mouseevent, mouseevent, ...) or (joystickevent, joystickevent, ...) or ("word, word, ...") or (keyword)
</trial>

Properties

Remarks

The trial element is the primary tool for controlling the flow of an experimental task. Trials allow customization of stimulus presentation, response procedure, time constraints, and response feedback. Each time a trial is executed, a line of data is written to the data file. Inquisit supports a number of specialized kinds of trials that provide a simple way to configure specific, commonly used types of tasks. Specialized trials include openended, likert, and namingtrial.

Examples

The following trial runs happytrial if the response is "a" and sadtrial if the response is "b":

<trial mytrial>
/ stimulusframes = [0=sometext]
/ validresponse = ("a", "b")
/ responsetrial = ("a", happytrial)
/ responsetrial = ("b", sadtrial)
</trial>

The following trial presents a rapid series of 5 pictures at 10 millisecond intervals. The subject may respond by clicking the left or right mouse button. If the left button is clicked, an error message appears. If the right button is clicked, a correct message appears.

<trial mytrial>
/ stimulustimes = [0=pic1; 10=pic2; 20=pic3; 30=pic4; 40=pic5]
/ inputdevice = mousekey
/ validresponse = (lbuttondown, rbuttondown)
/ errormessage = (redx, 500)
/ correctmessage = (greenstar, 500)
</trial>