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Mental Rotation
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 07-10-2018
last updated: 05-02-2024 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 05-02-2024 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements a Mental Rotation Testing Procedure based on:
Ganis, G and Kievit, R (2015). A New Set of Three-Dimensional Shapes for Investigating Mental Rotation Processes:
Validation Data and Stimulus Set. Journal of Open Psychology Data, 3: e3, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jopd.ai
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants see images of two 3-D cube objects and have to decide whether the cube objects are the same or mirror
images of each other. The cube objects are rotated by 0deg, 50deg, 100deg, and 150deg.
By default, in this script participants work on 12 different cube objects
(96 trials total = 12 cube objects * 4 rotation angles * 2 sameness categories (same vs. mirror images))
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 6-7 minutes to complete
(depends on response times; by default participants have max. 7.5s to respond during the test)
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DATA FILE INFORMATION
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The default data stored in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'mentalrotation_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.
subsets: the selected subsets for the test (out of 48 possible)
subsets_practice: the selected subsets for practice
trialcount: counts the number of trials run (resets after practice)
stimulusitem: the presented stimuli in order of trial presentation
subset: the subset the current image belongs to
sameness: "same" vs. "different"
rotationAngle: 0, 50, 100, 150
response: the participant's response, scancode of response button
31 = S => same
32 = D => different
responseCategory: "same", "different", "no respose"
ACC: accuracy of response: 1 = correct response; 0 = otherwise
Latency: the response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of images until response is made or trial times out
(2) Summary data file: 'mentalrotation_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)
subsets: the selected subsets for the test (out of 48 possible)
subsets_practice: the selected subsets for practice
ACC_practice: proportion correct performance across all practice trials
ACC: proportion correct across all test trials
RT: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses across all test trials
ACC_same: proportion correct of 'Same' test trials (across all rotation angles)
RT_same: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to 'Same' test trials (across all rotation angles)
ACC_different: proportion correct of 'Different' test trials (across all rotation angles)
RT_different: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to 'Different' test trials (across all rotation angles)
ACC_0: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
RT_0: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
ACC_50: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
RT_50: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
ACC_100: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
RT_100: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
ACC_150: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
RT_150: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees (across Same/Different trials)
ACC_0_same: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'Same' images
RT_0_same: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'Same' images
ACC_50_same: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'Same' images
RT_50_same: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'Same' images
ACC_100_same: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'Same' images
RT_100_same: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'Same' images
ACC_150_same: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'Same' images
RT_1500_same: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'Same' images
ACC_0_different: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'different' images
RT_0_different: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'different' images
ACC_50_different: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'different' images
RT_50_different: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'different' images
ACC_100_different: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'different' images
RT_100_different: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'different' images
ACC_150_different: proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'different' images
RT_1500_different: mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'different' images
* 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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(1) subsetGeneration ('silent block'):
the script randomly selects the number of image subsets (out of 48 possible) as specified by
parameters.subsetSize. By default, the script randomly selects the subsets for the test.
If specific subsets should be used, go to section EDITABLE LISTS and follow instructions.
Once the test subsets have been selected, the script randomly selects 2 more subsets as practice subsets
(Note: this is only possible if not all subsets have been used for the test)
(2) Practice: 16 trials = 2 subsets x 8 images per subset
- images are presented randomly to the participants
- feedback is provided after each trial
(3) Test: number of subsets x 8 images per subset => default: 12 x 8 = 96 trials
- half the images are 'same', half the images are 'different'
- the images are presented randomly with the constraint that no more than 3 same/different are
run consecutively
- no feedback provided
- after every 48 trials (editable, see parameters.restTrial under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS)
participants get a break
Trial Sequence:
ITI (250ms, editable)-> images for max 7500ms (editable) -> ITI
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STIMULI
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provided by: Ganis, G and Kievit, R (2015) (see article for stimuli generation)
The images are white on a black background.
Sizing can be edited under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS
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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:
/subsetSize: the number of subsets used for the test (default: 12; Max: 48).
By default, the script randomly selects the subsets for the test.
If specific subsets should be used, go to section LISTS and follow
instructions.
Note: the script uses 2 different subsets for practice as long
as not all 48 subsets are needed for the test.
/restTrial: by default, every 48 trials the script provides a rest trial
/picSize: proportional size of images (relative to canvas height) (default: 40%)
/iti: the intertrial interval in ms (blank screen) before each new image (default: 250ms)
/responseTimeout: the response Timeout in ms (default: 7500ms)
By default, the trial terminates after 7500ms
Response Keys:
/responsekey_same: the 'same' response key (default: "S"); left response key
/responsekey_different: the 'different' response key (default: "D"); right response key
Note: the 'same' response key will be presented as the left
response key on touchscreen devices; thus it is recommended to use
a 'same' key that appears to the left of the 'different' response key
on the keyboard as well.
