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AFFECTIVE PRIMING - TEMPLATE with prime pictures and word targets
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 06-09-2015
last updated: 02-10-2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 02-10-2025 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements a simple Affective Priming procedure with supraliminal picture primes and word targets.
In general, priming procedures are simple response-timed binary categorization tasks of items from two target
categories (e.g. positive vs. negative adjectives). Priming Procedures are based on the assumption that
people respond faster if the target category was already 'mentally activated' by briefly presenting items
(called 'primes') that are closely connected in one's mind. Thus, a person should be faster to quickly categorize
the target word 'good' as 'positive' after the brief presentation of the prime word/image of 'ice-cream' (assuming
good and ice-cream are associated in one's mind) than after the brief presentation of the prime word/image 'war'
(assuming good and war are not closely associated in one's mind).
If the primes are presented with a temporal duration that can be consciously processed, the primes are
called 'supraliminal'.
The implemented procedure is not based on any particular published paradigm.
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants are asked to categorize affective target words into pleasant and unpleasant categories.
For baseline measures, a baseline supraliminal prime '***' precedes the target words.
For test measures, supraliminal picture primes precede the target words.
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 7 minutes to complete
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DATA OUTPUT DICTIONARY
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The fields in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'affectivepriming_pictures_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.
primeCategory: Unpleasant vs Pleasant
targetCategory: Unpleasant vs Pleasant
primeItemNumber: stores the itemnumber of the currently presented prime (0-based => first item in a list has index 0)
prime: stores the presented prime
targetItemNumber: stores the itemnumber of the currently presented target (0-based => first item in a list has index 0)
target: stores the presented target
response: scancode of the pressed response button (Example:)
18 = E = left
23 = I = right
57 = spacebar
responseCategory: the interpretation of the key-response: "pleasant" or "unpleasant"
correct: accuracy of response: 1 = correct response; 0 = otherwise
latency: the response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of target
(2) Summary data file: 'affectivepriming_pictures_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)
propCorrect: overall proportion correct (across baseline and test)
meanRT: overall mean correct response time in ms (across baseline and test)
propCorrectBase: proportion correct baseline trials
meanRTBase: mean latency (ms) of correct baseline trials
propCorrectUBase: proportion correct Unpleasant baseline trials
meanRTUBase: mean latency (ms) of correct Unpleasant baseline trials
propCorrectPBase: proportion correct Pleasant baseline trials
meanRTPBase: mean latency (ms) of correct Pleasant baseline trials
propCorrectTest: proportion correct test trials
meanRTTest: mean latency (ms) of correct test trials
propCorrectUUTest: proportion correct test trials that pair Unpleasant primes with Unpleasant targets
meanRTUUTest: mean latency (in ms) of correct test trials that pair Unpleasant primes with Unpleasant targets
propCorrectUPTest: proportion correct test trials that pair Unpleasant primes with Pleasant targets
meanRTUPTest: mean latency (in ms) of correct test trials that pair Unpleasant primes with Pleasant targets
propCorrectPUTest: proportion correct test trials that pair Pleasant primes with Unpleasant targets
meanRTPUTest: mean latency (in ms) of correct test trials that pair Pleasant primes with Unpleasant targets
propCorrectPPTest: proportion correct test trials that pair Pleasant primes with Pleasant targets
meanRTPPTest: mean latency (in ms) of correct test trials that pair Pleasant primes with Pleasant targets
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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2 affective primes (pleasant vs unpleasant: here flowers vs. insect pics) x 2 affective targets (pleasant vs unpleasant), tested within subjects
1. baseline ("practice"): 48 trials (all 48 targets) are tested with a baseline prime (***); targets are selected at random
2. test: 48 trials (all 48 targets); targets are selected at random
- all 48 words occur once as prime and once as target
Trialsequence:
Prime (200ms, editable) -> prime-target ISI (100ms, editable)
-> Targets (until response; latency measured from onset of target)->ITI (2500ms)
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STIMULI
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Words are taken from:
Draine, S.C, & Greenwald, A.G. (1998). Replicable Unconscious Semantic Priming. Journal of Experimental Psychology:
General, 127, 286-303.
pictures collected from the internet as well as the Inquisit AMP.iqjs- they are used as placeholders
Insects - > unpleasant primes
Flowers -> pleasant primes
edit under section Editable Stimuli
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INSTRUCTIONS
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generic instructions; 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:
/baselinePrime: the symbols used for the baseline "prime"
/baselinePrimeHeight: the height of the baseline prime in % of canvas height (default: 5%)
/primeSize: the size of the prime pictures in % of canvas height (default: 30%)
/targetHeight: the size of the targets in % of canvas height (default: 5%)
/primeDuration: the duration of the primes in ms (default: 200ms)
/ptISI: the duration of the prime-target interstimulus interval (default: 100ms)
/iti: the intertrial interval (default: 2500ms)
/responseKeyLeft: the left response key (default: E)
/responseKeyRight: the right response key (default: I)
