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Affective Go/Nogo Task
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script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 08-15-2018
last updated: 09-07-2021 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 09-07-2021 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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Go/Nogo Tasks are used as behavioral measures of inhibition and cognitive control.
This script implements a Go/Nogo Task procedure to study inhibition in the context of valenced stimuli.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Chuang, Jie-Yu et al (2017). Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder: Neuroimaging Evidence of Sex Difference during an
Affective Go/No-Go Task. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8, 1-12.
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants view positive, negative or neutral words and are asked to:
Condition 1: press the space bar when they see a positive word ("go") and only then (nogo words: neutral words)
Condition 2: press the space bar when they see a neutral word ("go") and only then (nogo words: positive words)
Condition 3: press the space bar when they see a positive word ("go") and only then (nogo words: negative words)
Condition 4: press the space bar when they see a negative word ("go") and only then (nogo words: positive words)
Condition 5: press the space bar when they see a negative word ("go") and only then (nogo words: neutral words)
Condition 6: press the space bar when they see a neutral word ("go") and only then (nogo words: negative words)
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 15 minutes to complete
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DATA FILE INFORMATION
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The default data stored in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'affectivegonogo_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
script.sessionid: 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.
values.condition: HN: go = positive/happy; nogo = neutral (by default: positive words are repeated twice after reset; neutral words are repeated once)
NH: go = neutral; nogo = positive (by default: neutral words are repeated twice after reset; positive words are repeated once)
HS: go = positive/happy; nogo = negative (by default: positive words are repeated twice after reset; negative words are repeated once)
SH: go = negative/sad; nogo = positive (by default: negative words are repeated twice after reset; positive words are repeated once)
SN: go = negative/sad; nogo = neutral (by default: negative words are repeated twice after reset; neutral words are repeated once)
NS: go = neutral; nogo = negative (by default: neutral words are repeated twice after reset; negative words are repeated once)
values.GoStim: "NEUTRAL" vs. "HAPPY" vs. "SAD" (current go words)
values.NoGoStim: "NEUTRAL" vs. "HAPPY" vs. "SAD" (current nogo words)
values.iti: current intertrial interval in ms (default: 0)
values.word: the currently presented word
response: Scancode of the pressed response key (Example:)
57 = space bar
0 = no response
(21 = Y; 49 = N)
correct: accuracy of response: 1 = correct response; 0 = otherwise
values.responseCategory: go trials: HIT (correctly pressing response key), MISS (response key was not pressed);
nogo trials: FA (false alarm = incorrectly pressing response key), CR (correct rejection: response key was not pressed)
latency: the latency (in ms) of the current trial (does not have to be a go, nogo trial)
values.respRT: response time (in ms) of current practice and test go/nogo trials,
measured from onset of word until response (Note: if no response, 'response RT' is empty)
(2) Summary data file: 'affectivegonogo_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)*
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android)
script.startdate: date script was run
script.starttime: time script was started
script.subjectid: assigned subject id number
script.groupid: assigned group id number
script.sessionid: assigned session id number
script.elapsedtime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script
script.completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted);
1 = script was completed (all conditions run)
Note: this script does not remove outliers
Note: the following expressions calculate z-scores based on hit and FA rate.(see Gregg & Sedikides, 2010, p.148)
If the hitrate or FA rate is 0 => 0.005 is used instead
IF the hitrate or FA rate is 1.0 => 0.995 is used instead
Reference:
Gregg, A. & Sedikides, C. (2010). Narcissistic Fragility:
Rethinking Its Links to Explicit and Implicit Self-esteem, Self and Identity, 9:2, 142-161 (p.148)
expressions.hitrate: the overall hitrate across all blocks (hit = pressing space bar for go stimuli)
expressions.z_hitrate: the z-score of the overall hitrate
expressions.FArate: the overall False Alarm rate across all blocks (FA = pressing space bar for nogo stimuli)
expressions.z_FA: the z-score of the overall FA rate
expressions.dprime: difference btw. (zscore of hitrate - zscore of FArate): measure of Sensitivity
=> Range (in this script):
-5.1516586840152740479 <= dprime <= 5.1516586840152740479 (=perfect performance)
=> The higher the value, the better signals were overall distinguished from noise
(d' = 0: chance performance; negative d-primes: participant treated nontargets as targets and targets as nontargets)
expressions.mean_hitRT: the overall mean hit response time (in ms)
expressions.SD_hitRT: standard deviation of the hit response times across blocks (in ms)
expressions.hitrate_HN: the hitrate in HN block (go: positive/happy words, nogo: neutral words)
Omission rate = 1- hitrate
expressions.z_hitrate_HN: the z-score of the HN hitrate
expressions.FArate_HN: the false alarm rate (commission rate) in HN block
expressions.z_FA_HN: the z-score of the HN FA-rate
expressions.dprime_HN: difference btw. (z_hitrate - z_FA) in HN block: measure of Sensitivity
=> Range (in this script):
-5.1516586840152740479 <= dprime <= 5.1516586840152740479 (=perfect performance)
=> The higher the value, the better signals (happy words) were overall distinguished from noise (neutral words)
(d' = 0: chance performance; negative d-primes: participant treated nontargets as targets and targets as nontargets)
expressions.hitRT_HN: mean hit response time (in ms) in HN block
(same for all other conditions)
HN: positive/happy GO, neutral NOGO
NH: neutral GO, positive/happy NOGO
HS: positive/happy GO, negative/sad NOGO
SH: negative/sad GO, positive/happy NOGO
SN: negative/sad GO, neutral NOGO
NS: neutral GO, negative/sad NOGO
* separate data files: to change to one data file for all participants (on Inquisit Lab only), go to section
"DATA" and follow further instructions
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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Practice: optional (see parameters.runPractice)
* 10 trials (5 go, 5 nogo)
* script uses 'living things' as GO stimuli and 'non-living things' as NOGO stimuli
* provides feedback
Test:
* 3 rounds of testing
* each round consists of 6 Conditions (Note: this script does not run the 7th condition run by Chuang et al):
order of conditions is randomly determined
HN: go = positive/happy; nogo = neutral (by default: positive words are repeated twice after reset; neutral words are repeated once)
NH: go = neutral; nogo = positive (by default: neutral words are repeated twice after reset; positive words are repeated once)
HS: go = positive/happy; nogo = negative (by default: positive words are repeated twice after reset; negative words are repeated once)
SH: go = negative/sad; nogo = positive (by default: negative words are repeated twice after reset; positive words are repeated once)
SN: go = negative/sad; nogo = neutral (by default: negative words are repeated twice after reset; neutral words are repeated once)
NS: go = neutral; nogo = negative (by default: neutral words are repeated twice after reset; negative words are repeated once)
* Each condition runs 20 trials (10 go trials, 10 nogo trial); trial order of go-nogo trials is generated at random
(go: nogo ratio can be changed under section BLOCKS)
* each condition runs all 10 stimuli of the GO and NOGO category once
Default Trial Sequence:
word (450ms) -> clearscreen (750ms): response timeout after 1200ms
-> iti = 0 (see list.iti) (iti presents clearscreen)
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STIMULI
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provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited/exchanged under section Editable Stimuli
words selected from:
Bradley, M.M., & Lang, P.J. (1999). Affective norms for English words (ANEW): Instruction
manual and affective ratings. Technical Report C-1, The Center for Research in
Psychophysiology, University of Florida.
The words are roughly matched in mean valence and mean length
10 negative words (scale: 1-9): mean valence: 1.47 (range: 1.25-1.61), mean length: 6.8
10 neutral words (scale: 1-9): mean valence: 5 (range: 4.95-5.05), mean length: 6.1
10 positive words (scale: 1-9): mean valence: 8.57 (range: 8.39-8.82), mean length: 7
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INSTRUCTIONS
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provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section Editable Instructions
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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:
/fixationSize: proportional sizing of fixation cross (relative to canvas height) (default: 10%)
/wordSize: proportional sizing of words (relative to canvas height) (default: 8%)
/runPractice: true: script runs a short practice session with item.practice as the go items
false: script does not run a practice session
/practiceFeedbackDuration: the duration (in ms) of the correct practice Feedback (default: 1000ms)
Note: error feedback terminates by space bar press
/getReadyDuration: the duration (in ms) of the 'ready' trial (default: 5000ms)
/startFixation: the duration (in ms) of the first fixation cross in a block (default: 2500ms)
/endFixation: the duration (in ms) of the last (red) fixation cross in a block (default: 2000ms)
/stimDuration: the duration (in ms) of the words (default: 450ms)
/responseDuration: the response timeout (in ms), measured from onset of word (default: 1200ms)
Note: for a stim duration of 500ms, a blank screen is presented for the remaining 1000ms
/goKey: go-key (default: " " = space bar)