___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *SOLVING ANAGRAMS* ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 02-07-2017 last updated: 03-27-2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 03-27-2023 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements an Anagram Solving Paradigm based in part on: Novick, L., & Sherman, S. (2003). On the nature of insight solutions: Evidence from skill differences in anagram solution. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, 56(2), 351-382. Tresselt, M. E., & Mayzner, M. S. (1966). Normative solution times for a sample of 134 solution words and 378 associated anagrams. Psychonomic Monograph Supplements, 1, 293-298. Note: due to the nature of the trial set-up in this script, this script cannot be run on devices lacking an external keyboard. Script solvinganagrams_textboxes.iqx runs a similar task with textbox input that also runs on keyboardless devices. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By default, participants work on 30 5-letter anagrams in increasing difficulty*. They have 10s (default) to come up with a solution, specifically they have to enter the first letter of the word within that timeframe. Participants receive solution feedback. *increasing difficulty: based on the median response times needed to solve the anagrams as reported in Tresselt & Mayzner (1966) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 5 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA FILE INFORMATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The default data stored in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'solvinganagrams_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. form: A vs. B (different lists of anagrams that are matched in difficulty) phase: 0 = demo 1: anagrams 1-10; 2: anagrams 11-20; 3: anagrams 21-30; anagramCount: counts the number of anagrams run anagram: stores the current anagram anagramSolution: stores the solution of the current anagram response: the participant's response (scancode of last response input) keyResponse: scancode translation into a key response: "submit", "correction", letter associated with last entered scancode, !(for invalid response) latency: the response latency (in ms) anagramRT: stores the latency (in ms) of the first key entered firstLetter: stores the first letter entered proposedSolution: stores the proposed anagram solution proposedSolutionRT: time (in ms) it took to type solution; measured from time the first letter was entered to entering 'submit' correct: 1 = proposed solution is correct; 0 = otherwise countCorrections: number of corrections (=number of time backspace was used) for the currently proposed solution solutionFlag: 1 = solution is flagged (proposedSolutionRT > parameters.flagSolutionRT) => it took participant more than 10s (default) to enter the solution into the textbox 0 = solution is not flagged (2) Summary data file: 'solvinganagrams_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) form: form run (A vs. B) nr_anagrams: the number of anagrams presented (based on the provided item lists) ACC: proportion correctly solved anagrams medianRT: median solution time (in ms); measured from onset of anagram until first letter (of correct solutions) is hit meanRT: mean solution time (in ms); measured from onset of anagram until first letter (of correct solutions) is hit medianProposedSolutionRT: median proposed solution time (in ms); measured from entering first letter until solution is submitted meanProposedSolutionRT: mean proposed solution time (in ms); measured from entering first letter until solution is submitted meanCorrections: mean number of corrections made to proposed solution across all anagrams correction = backspace is used for letter deletion countSolutionFlags: number of times a solution was flagged because proposedSolutionRT > parameters.flagSolutionRT (default: 10s) for 30 anagrams: ACC_10: proportion correct solution for anagram 1-10 medianRT_10: median correct latency (in ms) for anagram 1-10 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) meanRT_10: mean correct latency (in ms) for anagram 1-10 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) ACC_20: proportion correct solution for anagram 11-20 medianRT_20: median correct latency (in ms) for anagram 11-20 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) meanRT_20: mean correct latency (in ms) for anagram 11-20 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) ACC_30: proportion correct solution for anagram 21-30 medianRT_30: median correct latency (in ms) for anagram 21-30 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) meanRT_30: mean correct latency (in ms) for anagram 21-30 (latency measured from onset of anagram until first key is hit) * separate data files: to change to one data file for all participants (on Inquisit Lab only), go to section "DATA" and follow further instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script counterbalances the use of 2 anagram forms A vs. B by groupnumber: odd groupnumbers run version A even groupnumbers run version B 1. Demo Block: runs 1 demo trial (by default: additional demo anagrams can be added under section Editable Stimuli and the script will automatically adapt) - demo trial: only accepts the correct first letter => if the first letter entered is incorrect, a solution hint is provided => if the time limit is up without a response, a solution hint is provided - provides feedback 2. Test Block: runs 30 trials (by default: additional test anagrams can be added/removed under section Editable Stimuli and the script will automatically adapt) - each anagram is presented for 10s (default, can be edited under section Editable Parameters) - the first letter/key entered is taken as a response to terminate the anagram presentation - once the participant has entered the Spacebar to submit the final solution, feedback is provided - corrections of the provided solutions are possible (a count of all corrections is kept) Trial Sequence: Anagram Presentation (for max. 10s), waits for first letter input -> Solution Trial: takes in the remaining letters until Spacebar is pressed to submit the solution -> Feedback ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Anagram selection for FormA/FormB: Tresselt & Mayzner (1966), Table1 lists anagrams of 5-letter words in increasing median solution times. An increase in median solution time was taken as an indicator of increasing anagram difficulty in this script. Attempts were made to match the 30 anagrams chosen for formA and formB as closely as possible in increasing median solution times: Mean(A) = 45.03s, SD(A) = 62.63s, Median(A) = 20.75s Mean(B) = 45.08s, SD(B) = 62.38s, Median(B) = 20.75s (see anagrampool.xlsx for individual solution times) Anagrams and their solution can be easily replaced under section Editable Stimuli. The task automatically adjusts if the number of anagrams changes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ provided by Millisecond Software 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: /anagramFontSize: the size of the anagrams in percentage of canvas height (default: 5%) /maxAnagramPresentationTime: the maximum presentation time (in ms) of the anagram (default: 10000ms) /flagSolutionRT: if participant needs more than 10s (default) to enter the solution after hitting the first key, the solution is flagged (Note: there is no timelimit on typing in the solution to the anagram after entering the first letter. Thus, participants could potentially press any key without knowing the solution and then use extra time to think about the solution before finally submitting it)