Script Author: Sean Draine (seandr@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 14, 2023
Last Modified: January 10, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a 'Progressive Ratio Button Press Task' to determine the "breakpoint" at which the reward (food) is no longer worth the effort of clicking a mouse button. The implemented template is based on the procedure described by Miras et (2012).
Miras AD, Jackson RN, Jackson SN, Goldstone AP, Olbers T, Hackenberg T, Spector AC, le Roux CW. Gastric bypass surgery for obesity decreases the reward value of a sweet-fat stimulus as assessed in a progressive ratio task. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Sep;96(3):467-73. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.036921. Epub 2012 Jul 25. PMID: 22836034.
The duration of the script varies depending on the participant's perserverance.
Participants are instructed to repeatedly click the left mouse button for rewards. When they no longer wish to click the mouse button, they can press a spacebard to end the task. The number of clicks required to receive a reward is increased by a multiple (2 by default) with each round.
The task continues until the participant opts out by pressing the space bar. The number of clicks in the last completed round is considered the "breakpoint" after which the reward is no longer worth the effort.
- A practice round is run at the beginning with parameters.startingRatio as the required number of clicks.
- The practice round is followed by test rounds until the participant presses SHIFT+SPACE to quit.
- As participants complete each test round, they are shown a screen indicating they will receive a reward. The
number of clicks required to complete the next round is multiplied by parameters.geometricIncrement.
- The task continues with progressively longer rounds until the participant opts out by pressing the SHIFT+SPACE
The task presents instructions but does not otherwise present any stimuli.
provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: progressiveratio_miras_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| startDate | Date the session was run |
| startTime | Time the session was run |
| subjectId | Participant ID |
| groupId | Group number |
| sessionId | Session number |
| elapsedTime | Session duration in ms |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| startingRatio | The total clicks for the first round |
| geometricIncrement | The factor by which the number of clicks per round is multiplied |
| breakPoint | The total clicks for the last completed round |
| roundsCount | The total number of completed rounds excluding practice rounds |
| clickCount | The total number of clicks excluding practice rounds |
File Name: progressiveratio_miras_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file. |
| response | The response given |
| latency | Response time in milliseconds. |
| roundCount | Total number of rounds excluding the practice round |
| clickCount | Total number of mouse clicks excluding the practice round |
| currentRatio | Number of clicks required to complete the current round |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| startingRatio | The required total clicks for the first round | 10 |
| geometricIncrement | The factor by which the number of clicks per round is multiplied | 2 |