Return to the Wisconsin Card Sort Test page
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WISCONSIN CARDSORT TEST (WCST)
(in German)
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 07-24-2012
last updated: 01-13-2020 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 01-13-2020 Millisecond Software
German translations by K. Borchert for Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements a computerized version of the Wisconsin Cardsort Test (WCST);
a test of cognitive flexibility upon (unannounced) rule changes.
The WCST implemented in this script is based on Grant & Berg (1948) and is played with 2 decks of cards
(64 cards in each deck).
Reference:
Grant, D.A. & Berg. E.A. (1948).A behavioral analysis of degree of reinforcement and ease of shifting to
new responses in a Weigl-type card sorting problem. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 404-411.
NOTE: To play the short version (WCST-64) with only one deck of cards,
change parameters.cstotaltrials from 128 to 64 under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS.
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants are asked to sort cards into four different "categories". No instructions are
given in regard to the categorization rules.
The four different categories are
- one red triangle
- two green stars
- three yellow crosses
- four blue circles.
The cards to sort into these piles have similar designs and
vary in color (4), shape (4), and number (4).
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 5 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: 'wcst_german_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.
count_ColorBlocks: the number of color blocks started
count_FormBlocks: the number of number blocks started
count_NumberBlocks: the number of form blocks started
colortrialcount/numbertrialcount/formtrialcount: sum up the trials run by category
totaltrials: counts the total trials run
category : 1 = color; 2 = form; 3 = number
stimulusitem.1: the presented target card
stimulusitem.2-
stimulusitem.5 the selection of cards to choose from (stay the same throughout the task)
response: the participant's response (card selection)
latency: the response latency in ms; measured from onset of target card
ResponseCategory: => records features that the selected card (response) and the test card have in common
CFN (color, form, number); CF (color; form); CN (color, number); FN (form, number)
C (color); F (form); N (number); O (other)
correct: the correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = otherwise)
correctstreak: counts consecutive correct responses (if an error is made, it's reset back to 0)
PerseverativeResponse: 1 = response is still in compliance with the old rule after a rule switch (and
no response has been made yet that violates the old rule)
Note: in this MCST script, each Perseverative Response is also a Perseverative Error
0 = any other response
totalcorrect: sums up all the correct responses across the task
totalerror: sums up all the incorrect responses across the task
(2) Summary data file: 'WCST_german_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)
!!!!Important Note: the definitions of the summary variables in this script might differ from the originals.
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)
Important Note: the definitions of the summary variables in this script might differ from the originals.
parameters.cstotaltrials Maximum Number of trials (default = 48 => 2 decks x 24 cards)
parameters.cstotalblocks: Maximum Number each category is tested (default = 2)
parameters.correctstreakthreshold: Number of consecutive correct responses before a rule change (default = 10)
parameters.setmaintainthreshold: Number of consecutive correct responses after which an incorrect
response is scored as a "Failure to maintain Set" (default = 5)
parameters.showdeckinfo: if set to " true" information about the deck (e.g. 1 of 2) and card number
(e.g. 7 of 64) are displayed on the screen for the participant to see (default: false (0))
count_ColorBlocks: the number of color blocks started
count_FormBlocks: the number of number blocks started
count_NumberBlocks: the number of form blocks started
colortrialcount/formtrialcount/numbertrialcount: sum up the trials run by category
totaltrials: counts the total trials run
totalcorrect: sums up all the correct responses across the task
totalerror: sums up all the incorrect responses across the task
sum_perseverativeerror: sums up all error trials with values.perseverativeresponse = 1
expressions.percent_perservativeerror: percentage of Perserverative Errors (relative to all errors made)
Sum_PerseverativeResponses: Keeps a total of the number of perseverative responses made throughout the test
Percent_PerserverativeResponses: percentage of PerserverativeResponses of all trials
Note: in this WCST script, a perseverative response is not automatically categorized as an error since
some cards can be ambiguous.
completedcategories number of categories (color, form, number) successfully completed (min = 0, max = 6)
Sum_FailureMaintainSet keeps a total of the number of times a participants selects an incorrect card
trialscompletefirstcategory keeps track of how many trials a participant needed to complete the first category
after having maintained a correct streak of 5 or higher (default)
percenterror_C1/.../percenterror N2: percent errors in the first color category ....percent errors in the second number category (etc.)
Diff_C1F1 etc.: Difference scores of percent errors in adjacent categories
(e.g. Diff_C1F1 = percenterrors in first color category - percenterrors in first form category)
LearningToLearn: the mean of the obtained difference scores
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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(1) Cards:
- Participants receive the equivalent of 2 decks of cards. Each deck contains 64 different cards.
- Researchers can set whether to display the deck/card info for the participants
on the screen under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS
- the cards of each deck are randomized without replacement (see list.selectcard for more detail)
(2) Order of Categorization Rules: Color -> Form -> Number
- Maximal 2 of each category
- Rules change after 10 consecutive correct responses for a category (default, can be changed under
VALUES)
(3) End of Task:
(a) reached the maximum number of cards:
- Maximum Number of Trials/Cards: 2 (decks) x 64 (cards) => 128 cards
(b) successfully completed 2 sequences of the color->form->number sequence
- Minimum number of trials/Cards = 10 (correct trials per block) * 6 (max number of blocks)=> 60 cards
(4) Instructions
- Instructions can easily be changed under EDITABLE INSTRUCTIONS
- Text Stimuli can be easily changed under EDITABLE STIMULI
(5) Dependent Variables/Scores:
- latency of response
- accuracy of response
- total number of correct responses/total number of errors
- Total Number/Percentage of Perseverative Errors
- PerseverativeResponse (as defined under VALUES) / Number of PerseverativeResponses across Experiment / % of PerseverativeResponses of all responses
- total number of trials
- number of trials needed to complete first category
- categories completed (Max = 6)
- Number of "Failures to Maintain Set" across Experiment
- "Learning to Learn" measures: error difference scores (of percentages) from adjacent categories
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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:
cstotaltrials: Maximum Number of trials (default = 128 => 2 decks x 64 cards)
cstotalblocks: Maximum Number each category is tested (default = 2)
correctstreakthreshold: Number of consecutive correct responses before a rule change (default = 10)
setmaintainthreshold: Number of consecutive correct responses after which an incorrect response is scored as a "Failure to maintain Set" (default = 5)
showdeckinfo: if set to " true" information about the deck (e.g. 1 of 2) and card number (e.g. 7 of 64)
are displayed on the screen for the participant to see (default: false)
/picsize: size of cards determined by canvas height percentage (default:30%)