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Deck Choice Effort Task
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 11-07-2023
last updated: 11-10-2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 11-10-2023 Millisecond Software
Millisecond Software thanks Joshua Di Vincenzo for his assistance in creating this script!
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements Millisecond Software's version of Deck Choice Effort Task, a paradigm to study
cognitive effort-based decision making using two tasks of varying cognitive difficulty while keeping
physical effort the same.
The Inquisit script is based on the paper by Reddy et al (2018) and the original eprime script of the
task.
Reference:
Reddy, L. F., Horan, W. P., Barch, D. M., Buchanan, R. W., Gold, J. M., Marder, S. R., Wynn, J. K., Young, J.,
& Green, M. F. (2018).
Understanding the Association Between Negative Symptoms and Performance on Effort-Based Decision-Making Tasks:
The Importance of Defeatist Performance Beliefs. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 44(6), 1217–1226.
https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbx156
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants are instructed to choose between 2 decks of cards that represent an
Easy (cognitive) task vs. Hard (cognitive) Task.
The Easy deck contains only cards of the same color
The Hard deck contains cards of alternating colors
The colors are tied to specific tasks to perform:
blue -> do a parity task ('is this number odd or even?')
yellow -> do a magnitude task ('is this number less or greater than 5?')
Choosing to work on a Hard deck (with the alternating tasks) can earn more money.
Specifically, three levels of reward for the Hard deck are tested
(the Easy task offers the same amount throughout).
3 different experimental phases:
1. Practice of tasks: learn to associate color with tasks to perform
2. Introduction of the Easy vs. Hard card deck
3. Test
Note: the script offers the choice to run the script in an "in person" vs. a "remote" setting (default is remote).
in person: test administrator has the choice to select each phase separately via a selection screen
remote: task flow is automatic
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 20 minutes to complete
practice1: ~3min per block
practice2: ~1min per block
test: ~1min per block
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DATA FILE INFORMATION
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The default data stored in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'deckchoiceefforttask_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: with the current subject id
group: with the current group id
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.
phase: 1 = practice with feedback (training of individual task);
2 = practice w/o feedback (decks introduction)
3 = test
blockCounterPerPhase: tracks the number of blocks run during the current phase
trialCounterPerBlock: tracks the number of trials run during the current block
difficulty: 1 = easy task
2 = hard task
currentRewardEasy: the currently offered reward for the easy task
currentRewardHard: the currently offered reward for the hard task
rewardLevelHard: 1,2 or 3 (depending on reward amount)
currentReward: the offered reward for the current task (tied to selection)
currentColor: the color of the current card
currentTask: the current task to perform (tied to color)
number: the currently presented number (1-9; 5 excluded)
correctResp: "1" or "2" (refers to the correct key to press)
selectFeedback: 1 = correct; 2 = incorrect; 3 = no response
winnings: the current win amount
total: sum of all win amounts across all test blocks
response: the response of participant (scancode of response button)
- Note: scancodes can be confusing for number buttons (Example: scancode 2 refers to key "1")
- 57 -> spacebar press
responseText: the label of key pressed (note: confusing for spacebar press as it appears empty)
correct: correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error)
latency: response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of card
list.ACC_block.mean: running proportion correct responses during the current block
list.RT_block.mean: running mean response times (in ms) during the current block (based on correct AND incorrect responses as well as no responses)
practiceSuccess: 1 = practice1 session was finished successfully (only applies to 'remote' testing settings)
0 = otherwise
(2) Summary data file: 'deckchoiceefforttask_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)
propHardChoices: proportion Hard Choices across all test blocks
propHardChoices1: proportion Hard Choices when hard choice gets reward1 (lowest reward)
propHardChoices2: proportion Hard Choices when hard choice gets reward2 (medium reward)
propHardChoices3: proportion Hard Choices when hard choice gets reward3 (highest reward)
effortScore: Difference Score of (propHardChoices3 - propHardChoices1)
Reddy et al (2018):
"Higher scores indicate greater willingness to exert effort for large versus small rewards."
Note: this score is only calculated if 0 < propHardChoices < 100, otherwise "NA" is noted in the data file
(thus excluding participants who always chose Hard choices and those that never chose Hard choices)
propCorrectEasy: proportion correct Easy task responses across all test trials
meanCorrRTEasy: mean correct response times (in ms) for correct Easy task responses (across all test trials)
propCorrectHard: proportion correct Hard task responses across all test trials
meanCorrRTHard: mean correct response times (in ms) for correct Hard task responses (across all test trials)
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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This task provides the option to use a 'in person' set up or a 'remote' set up of the tasks:
in person: for the in-person set up, the script always returns to a task menu option after each experimental phase.
This set up allows test administrators to select which phase should be run next (if any)
remote: this set up automatically calls the different experimental phases in sequences.
The default setting of this script is 'remote'
(1) Practice1 (Task Learning Phase with performance feedback after each response)
- 20 practice trials per block
- colors/tasks are selected randomly WITHOUT replacement => 50% parity tasks, 50% magnitude tasks
- numbers are selected randomly WITH replacement from list.numbers (see below)
- each card is presented for 3000ms (editable parameter)
- at the end of practice1 block performance feedback is provided
"remote" only: script checks performance after each practice1 block. If performance is lower than 70% correct (editable parameters)
the practice block is repeated. If the maximum number of practice1 blocks has been run without success (default: 3, editable parameters),
the script terminates prematurely
"in person" only: at the end of the block (when performance feedback is presented), participants are asked to fetch test administrator.
Test administrator can use performance feedback to decide if the block needs to be repeated.
Pressing key 'C' calls the task selection menu screen (hidden from participants).
(2) Practice2 (Introduction of Easy/Hard card decks, no response feedback provided)
- 2 blocks of 10 trials (aka '10' cards per deck played): Easy block vs. Hard block
- order of decks/blocks is randomly determined
- each card is presented for 3000ms (editable parameter)
(3) Test
- 12 blocks of 10 trials each (editable parameters, Note: original eprime script runs 36 blocks)
- equal number of blocks that offer hardReward1, hardReward2, hardReward3 (all blocks offer the same amount for the Easy deck)
- colors selected for Easy tasks: randomly selects a color with the constraint that roughly half of the selected Easy tasks are parity tasks
- star colors selected for Hard tasks: randomly selects a starting color with the constraint that roughly half of the first presented cards are blue
- at the end of each block, participant receives feedback about money won
=> if 90% of responses (editable parameter) are correct -> money is won and added to total (otherwise no money won)
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Test Trial Sequence:
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-> task choice (until response)
-> task feedback (until spacebar response)
-> ISI (500ms)
-> card trial (duration: 3000ms, card removed after response) (regardless of response => easy and hard task take the same amount of time)
-> ISI (500ms)
....
-> feedback (3000ms)
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STIMULI
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provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section 'Editable Stimuli'
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INSTRUCTIONS
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provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section 'Editable Instructions'.
Partly based on original eprime script.
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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:
##design
taskAdministration = "remote" choose from: "in person", "remote"
"in person" = provides a menu to choose (1) practice with feedback; (2) practice without feedback; (3) test; (4) Exit
"remote" = runs the blocks in sequence and implements a learning criterium for the first practice block
######only applies for taskAdministration = "remote"
minPracticeACC = 0.7 implements a learning criterium for association 'color-task'
reruns practice block1 for 'maxPracticeBlocks' if performance is lower than 70% correct.
If minPracticeACC is not achieved, task prematurely terminates
maxPracticeBlocks = 3 number of maximum practice1 blocks run
If minPracticeACC is not achieved, task prematurely terminates
######/
numberPractice1TrialsPerBlock = 20 number of practice1 trials per learning block (Note: should be an even number)
numberPractice2TrialsPerBlock = 10 number of practice2 trials per block (aka 'number of cards per deck') Note: practice2 runs 2 blocks (one Easy, one Hard)
numberTestBlocks = 12 number of test blocks to run (Note: needs to be divisible by 3 because of three different levels of hardRewards)
Note: the original eprime script runs 36 blocks
numberTestTrialsPerBlock = 10 number of test trials per test block (aka 'number of cards per deck')
minTestPerformanceForReward = 0.9 minimum propCorrect responses during a test block to get rewarded
##reward selection
easyReward = 0.1 the reward amount offered for selection of Easy deck
hardReward1 = 0.1 the lowest reward amount offered for selection of Hard deck
hardReward2 = 0.2 the medium reward amount offered for selection of Hard deck
hardReward3 = 0.4 the highest reward amount offered for selection of Hard deck
monetaryUnit = "$" the money unit used to present amount
monetaryUnitPlacement = "B" choose from "B" (before) or "A" (after) monetary amount
##color selection
parityTaskColor = "blue" color used for parity (odd/even) task -> use English term for the selected color (used in actual code)
magnitudeTaskColor = "yellow" color used for magnitude (less/more) task -> use English term for the selected color (used in actual code)
Change actual instructions in section Editable Instructions
##timing parameters
numberDuration_inms = 3000 the duration (in ms) that the number is presented (also refers to response timeout)
isi_inms = 500 the interstimulus interval (in ms) before/after a number is presented
practiceFeedbackDuration_inms = 2000 the duration (in ms) of the feedback reported during practice1
testFeedbackDuration_inms = 3000 the duration (in ms) of the feedback reported after each test block
##sizing parameters
cardHeight_inpct = 40% the proportional (to canvas height) height of the cards
numberFontHeight_inpct = 10% the proportional (to canvas height) size of the numbers on the card
