___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *SPATIAL RELATIONS TASK* ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 11-07-2012 last updated: 02-28-2022 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 02-28-2022 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements a timed Spatial Relations Task. The implemented procedure is based on: Salthouse, T.A. (2006). Mental Exercise and Mental Aging. Evaluating the Validity of the ‘‘Use It or Lose It’’ Hypothesis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 1, 68-87. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participant gets one figure in a 2-D representation and has to choose amongst 4 possible 3-D figures the one that corresponds to the 2-D representation. Participants have 10 minutes for a max. of 20 items. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 12 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA FILE INFORMATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The default data stored in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'spatialrelations_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. (parameter) timelimit: time allotted for the main task in ms (default: 10min, in ms) target: contains the current target choice1 - choice4: contains the current stimulus for choice1-choice4 correctchoice: stores the current correct choice response: the participant's response correct: the correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) latency: the response latency (in ms) sum_correct: sums up the correct choices (2) Summary data file: 'spatialrelations_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) (parameter) timelimit: time allotted for the main task in ms(default: 10min, in ms) (parameter) timereminder: a reminder that only (default) 1 min are left (in ms) (parameter) timeshowselection: time the selection is briefly highlighted with blue stimulus (default: 50ms) !Note: that time 'takes away' from the allotted 10min sum_correct: sums up the correct choices ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Testblock with 20 trials (trial.spatialrelations): trial.spatialrelations present 1 target 2-D picture and 4 possible 3-D answer choices and a clock in the upper left hand corner. The clock counts down the allotted time (default: 10min). Once the selection is made a blue circle briefly highlights the selection. If the time is running out (default: 1 min or less) a red oval appears around the clock to highlight the remaining time. 1 instruction block presents 2 demonstration examples. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To change the selection of Stimuli go to section Editable Stimuli Note: list.correctanswers contains the corresponding correct answers ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To edit instructions go to section Editable Instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EDITABLE CODE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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: /timelimit: time allotted for the main task (default: 10min, in ms) /timereminder: a reminder that only (default) 1 min are left (in ms) /timeshowselection: time in ms the selection is briefly highlighted with blue stimulus (default: 50ms) !Note: that time 'takes away' from the allotted 10min