Last Modified: January 04, 2024 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements and administers: T.O.V.A. (Test of Variables of Attention), a computerized test of sustained attention and impulsivity. The T.O.V.A. is a Continuous Performance Test (CPT) with a simple shape in 2 different screen positions (top square/bottom square).
Greenberg, L.M., & Waldman, I.D. (1993). Developmental normative data on the Test of Variable of Attention (T.O.V.A.™). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 1019–1030.
Greenberg, L.M., Kindschi, C.L., Dupuy, T.R., Hughes, S.J. (2016). TOVA: Test of Variable Attention. Clinical Manual. https://files.tovatest.com/documentation/8/Clinical%20Manual.pdf
Adjustments to z-scores as described by: Gregg, A. & Sedikides, C. (2010). Narcissistic Fragility: Rethinking Its Links to Explicit and Implicit Self-esteem, Self and Identity, 9:2, 142-161 (p.148)
24 minutes
Participants are presented 2 different stimuli (for 100ms) at a constant pace (every 2s). If the stimulus is a target (aka top square), they are asked to press the Spacebar. If it's not a target (aka bottom square), they are asked to simply wait for the next stimulus. Participant work through blocks with low frequency and high frequency targets.
5 blocks: total of 698 trials (648 test trials and 50 practice trials); takes ~24 minutes
(errorfeedback is optional, see section Editable Parameters)
Practice: 50 trials with target:nontarget frequency = 1:1 (lasts ~2 minutes)
Test Blocks:
1. Low Frequency1: 162 trials with 36 targets, 126 nontargets (1:3.5)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
2. Low Frequency1: 162 trials with 36 targets, 126 nontargets (1:3.5)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
3. High Frequency1: 162 trials with 126 targets, 36 nontargets (3.5:1)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
4. High Frequency1: 162 trials with 126 targets, 36 nontargets (3.5:1)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
Test Procedures:
1. Test purpose and instructions displayed.
1b. 2-min Practice Session begins
2. First half of the test begins.
LF ('low frequency') blocks: total of 2 blocks
2a. target/Non-target stimulus presented briefly for 100ms (~22.2% of the stimuli are targets).
2b. Awaits for user response (space bar) or terminates after 2000ms.
2c. Go to 2a until half time is reached.
HF ('high frequency') blocks: total of 2 blocks
3. Second half of the test begins (unannounced).
3a. target/Non-target stimulus presented briefly for 100ms (~77.8% of the stimuli are targets).
3b. Awaits for user response (space bar) or terminates after 2000ms.
3c. Go to 3a until half time is reached
see section Editable Instructions
(from Greenberg & Waldman, 1993)
File Name: tova_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| minValidLatency | Minimum latency in ms that is considered valid and not anticipatory (default: 200) |
| sumAnticipatoryResponses | Sums up number of anticipatory responses across all test trials |
| percentAnticipatoryResponses | Percentage of anticipatory response during test trials Notes (a) the following summary statistic exclude all anticipatory responses (default: responses with latencies < 200ms) (b) z-scores were adjusted according to Gregg & Sedikides (2010, p.148) If the hit rate / FA rate is 0 => 0.005 is used instead IF the hit rate / FA rate is 1.0 => 0.995 is used instead |
| propCorrectPractice | Overall proportion correct of practice trials |
| overallProportionCorrect | Overall proportion correct of all experimental trials (across all test blocks) |
| meanPostCommissionRT | Mean correct hit latencies (in ms) committed immediately after a commission error (across all test blocks) |
| meanHitRT | Mean hit latency (in ms) of all experimental trials (across all test blocks) |
| sdHitRT | Standard deviation of all hit latencies (across all test blocks) |
| hitRate | Hit rate (across all test blocks) |
| omissionsRate | Omission rate (miss rate) (across all test blocks) |
| commissionRate | False alarm rate (across all test blocks) |
| crRate | Correct rejection rate (across all test blocks) |
| zHr | Z-value of hit rate (across all test blocks) |
| zFAr | Z-value of false alarm rate (across all test blocks) |
| dPrime | D' (parametric measure of discriminability). (across all test blocks) |
| c | C-criterion in signal detection:The absolute value of c provides an indication of the strength of the response bias/response style negative: participant more likely to report that signal (go stims) is present (liberal response style) may favor faster responding in speed-accuracy trade-off response paradigms positive: favoring caution (conservative response style) low frequency targets: across both blocks |
| meanHitRTLF | Mean hit latency (in ms) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| sdHitRTLF | Standard deviation of all hit latencies in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| hitRateLF | Hit rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| omissionsRateLF | Omission rate (miss rate) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| commissionRateLF | False alarm rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| crRateLF | Correct rejection rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| zHrLF | Z-value of hit rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| zFArLF | Z-value of false alarm rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| dPrimeLF | D' (parametric measure of discriminability) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| cLF | C-criterium in low frequency condition high frequency targets: across both blocks |
| meanHitRTHF | Mean hit latency (in ms) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| sdHitRTHF | Standard deviation of all hit latencies in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| hitRateHF | Hit rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| omissionsRateHF | Omission rate (miss rate) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| commissionRateHF | False alarm rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| crRateHF | Correct rejection rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| zHrHF | Z-value of hit rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| zFArHF | Z-value of false alarm rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| dPrimeHF | D' (parametric measure of discriminability) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| cLH | C-criterium in high frequency condition and separate summary variables for each block of LF and HF lf1: first block with low frequency targets lf2: second block with low frequency targets hf1: first block with high frequency targets hf2: second block with high frequency targets |
File Name: tova_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| frequency | 1 = low frequency condition 2 = high frequency condition 0 = practice |
| response | The participant's key response (scancodes: 57 = Spacebar; 0 = noResponse) |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from onset of target/nontarget |
| anticipatoryResponse | 1 = response is anticipatory (latency < parameters.minValidLatency; default: 200ms) 0 = response is not anticipatory |
| commissionError | 1 = valid commission error (excludes anticipatory responses) 0 = no valid commission error |
| postCommissionHit | 1 = valid hit (excludes anticipatory responses) immediately after a commission error 0 = not a valid hit immediately after a commission error |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| non-target stimulus (in ms) (here: 2000ms) | ||
| squareSize | The size of the target/nontarget shape in canvas height percentage | 5% |
| backgroundSize | The size of the white background in canvas height percentage | 50% |
| mInvalidLatency | Minimum latency in ms that is considered valid and not anticipatory | 200 |
| showPracticeFeedback | True (1): error feedback is presented during practice false (0): no feedback is provided during practice (default) |