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*Adaptive Composite Complex Span (ACCES)*
Main Script
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 05-29-2019
last updated: 03-24-2022 by K.Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software LLC
Script Copyright © 03-24-2022 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements the Adaptive Composite Complex Span Test (ACCES); an adaptive test of working memory
with visuospatial ("symmetry span test"), mathematical ("operation span test") and verbal subtests
("reading span test").
The ACCES was developed by Gonthier et al (2018). According to the authors "the test presents a fixed number
of trials to all participants, allows for partial credit scoring, and can be used with children regardless
of ability level. The ACCES demonstrated satisfying psychometric properties in a sample of 268 children
aged 8–13 years." (p.910)
All materials for the ACCES – including the stimuli, an open source implementation
of the task script under PsychoPy (Peirce, 2007), and all validation data – can be accessed via the Open Science
Framework platform at https://osf.io/bk7pm/.
Reference:
Gonthier, C., Thomassin, N., & Roulin, J.-L. (2016). The Composite Complex Span :
French validation of a short working memory task. Behavior Research Methods, 48(1), 233-242.
doi:10.?3758/?s13428-015-0566-3
Gonthier C, Aubry A, Bourdin B. (2018). Measuring working memory capacity in children using adaptive tasks:
Example validation of an adaptive complex span. Behav Res Methods. Jun;50(3):910-921.
doi: 10.3758/s13428-017-0916-4. PMID: 28643158.
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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This script is batch script that calls the following scripts in order:
1. acces_intro.iqx: this script provides the general intro information for the ACCES test in English
and runs a short demographic survey (can be turned off via parameters.runDemographicSurvey)
under section Editable Parameters below.
This script generates one data files:
acces_demographics.iqdat (collects raw data of demographic survey)
2. acces_rspan.iqx: this script runs the RSPAN (Reading Span) subtest of the ACCES test.
This script generates two data files:
"acces_rspan_raw.iqdat" : collects the raw data
"acces_rspan_summary.iqdat": stores the summary data
Detailed Explanations of the data files as well as procedural information
can be found in the User Manual of script "acces_rspan.iqx"
Note: script acces_rspan.iqx can be skipped if parameters.run_RSPAN is set to false
under section Editable Parameters below.
2. acces_sspan.iqx: this script runs the SSPAN (Symmetry Span) subtest of the ACCES test.
This script generates two data files:
"acces_sspan_raw.iqdat" : collects the raw data
"acces_sspan_summary.iqdat": stores the summary data
Detailed Explanations of the data files as well as procedural information
can be found in the User Manual of script "acces_sspan.iqx"
Note: script acces_sspan.iqx can be skipped if parameters.run_SSPAN is set to false
under section Editable Parameters below.
3. acces_ospan.iqx: this script runs the OSPAN (Operation Span) subtest of the ACCES test.
This script generates two data files:
"acces_ospan_raw.iqdat" : collects the raw data
"acces_ospan_summary.iqdat": stores the summary data
Detailed Explanations of the data files as well as procedural information
can be found in the User Manual of script "acces_ospan.iqx"
Note: script acces_rspan.iqx can be skipped if parameters.run_OSPAN is set to false
under section Editable Parameters below.
4. acces_finish.iqx: this script presents the final instruction pages for the ACCES test
and stores the main performance data of the three subtests (RSPAN, SSPAN, OSPAN)
as well as a composite WMC score in one common data file.
Detailed Explanations of the data file can be found in the User Manual of script
"acces_finish.iqx".
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 30 minutes to complete
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DATA FILE INFORMATION
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See individual batch scripts (USER MANUALS) for detailed information on all data files generated:
"acces_intro.iqx"
"acces_rspan.iqx"
"acces_sspan.iqx"
"acces_ospan.iqx"
"acces_finish.iqx"
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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All procedural information can found in the USER MANUALS of the following scripts:
RSPAN: acces_rspan.iqx
SSPAN: acces_sspan.iqx
OSPAN: acces_ospan.iqx
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STIMULI
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See USER MANUALS of the following scripts:
RSPAN: acces_rspan.iqx
SSPAN: acces_sspan.iqx
OSPAN: acces_ospan.iqx
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INSTRUCTIONS
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Instructions are not original to Gonthier et al, 2018 but borrow heavily from the French instructions
generously provided by Gonthier et al's published material.
The instructions in this script are provided by Millisecond Software
as htm/html pages and can be edited by changing the provided htm/html files.
To edit htm/html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
See individual scripts for more detail.
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EDITABLE CODE
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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:
/runDemographicSurvey = true true = script acces_demographics.iqx is run; false = script acces_demographics.iqx is skipped
/run_RSPAN = true true = script acces_rspan.iqx is run; false = script acces_rspan.iqx is skipped
/run_SSPAN = true true = script acces_sspan.iqx is run; false = script acces_sspan.iqx is skipped
/run_OSPAN = true true = script acces_ospan.iqx is run; false = script acces_ospan.iqx is skipped
