Self Assessment Manikin - SAM

Technical Manual

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 05, 2017

Last Modified: January 09, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a simple picture rating script that uses the Self Assessment Manikin Pictorial Rating Scale described in:

Bradley, M. & Lang, P.J. (1994). Measuring Emotion: The Self-Assessment Manikin and The Semantic Differential. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiat, 25, 49-59.

Duration

2 minutes

Description

Participants are shown 8 pictures (one at a time) and are asked to rate the emotions these pictures elicit on three dimensions: valence, arousal, dominance. The rating scales consist of a series of pictorial depictions of a manikin displaying those emotions. This script runs a 9-point scale: 5 picture anchors with spaces in between

Procedure

This script implements a simple demonstration to use the Self Assessment Manikin Scales for picture ratings.

• 8 trials (the order of the images is determined randomly)
this script automatically adapts to run more/fewer trials if the number of images is changed
under item.images.

• participants need to select one of the response boxes for each of the three dimensions (valence, arousal, dominance)
There are 5 picture anchors and 4 empty boxes in between (=9 anchor points)

Stimuli

provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Stimuli

the script runs as many self-assessment trials as there are images provided under item.images.
By default, the script runs 8 trials.

Instructions

provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions

Summary Data

File Name: selfassessmentmanikin_summary*.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
inquisit.version Inquisit version number
computer.platform Device platform: win | mac |ios | android
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

Raw Data

File Name: selfassessmentmanikin_raw*.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
build Inquisit version number
computer.platform Device platform: win | mac |ios | android
date Date the session was run
time Time the session was run
subject Participant ID
group Group number
session Session number
blockCode Name of the current block
blockNum Number of the current block
trialCode Name of the current trial
trialNum Number of the current trial
trialCount Tracks the number of trials run
targetIndex Tracks the itemnumber of the current image presented
target Stores the current image file presented
valenceSelected 1 (very unpleasant) - 9 (very pleasant)
arousalSelected 1 (frantic) - 9 (chill)
dominanceSelected 1 (not in control at all) - 9 (100% in control)
rt The time (in ms) from onset of image to pressing 'submit' button
Built-In Dvs
latency Records the response latency in the current data saving trial
response Records the response latency in the current data saving trial

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.

NameDescriptionDefault
picSize The size of the target picture relative to canvas height 20%
picPosition The vertical position of the target picture relative to canvas height
0% = top of canvas - 100% = bottom of canvas
5%
ratingScalePosition The vertical position of the top of the rating scales relative to canvas height 30%
ratingScaleScalingFactor A helper factor to scale the rating scale
if a larger pic Size is chosen, the rating scale might need to be scaled down
to fit on the canvas
0.8
iti The intertrial interval (in ms) 100ms