Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 15, 2024
Last Modified: January 19, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the Attention Network Test-Interaction (ANT-I), a behavioral measure of alerting, orienting and executive attention. The implemented procedure was originally proposed by Callejas et al (2005).
Callejas A, Lupiàñez J, Funes MJ, Tudela P (2005). Modulations among the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. Exp Brain Res 167:27–37. doi:10.1007/s00221-005-2365-z
Ishigami, Y., & Klein, R. M. (2011). Repeated Measurement of the Components of Attention of Older Adults using the Two Versions of the Attention Network Test: Stability, Isolability, Robustness, and Reliability. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 3, 17–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2011.00017
25 minutes
Participants are presented arrows either directly above or below a fixation cross. The center arrow may or may not point in the same direction as the flanking arrows. Participants have to decide whether the center arrows point right or left. Before the arrows appear, participants may hear a beep followed by a location cue, get only one of these signals, or get neither one.
Differences in mean reaction times in the different audio/location cue/flanker conditions are used to calculate the following three Attentional Network Effects: • Alert Effect: Effect of achieving and maintaining alertness • Orienting Effect: Effect of orienting attention towards a specific location of information • Executive Effect: Effect of resolving conflict between several possible responses and executing response
Design:
2 audio signal conditions (beep vs. no beep) x
3 location cue conditions (no cue, valid spatial cue, invalid spatial cue) x
2 flanker congruence (congruent vs. incongruent) x
2 locations (above vs. below fixation) x
2 directions (center arrow points to right or left) = 48 trials per block
A) 1 Block of 24 Practice trial sequences with full feedback, including summary feedback of speed and accuracy
=> 8 no cue; 8 ValidSC; 8 InvalidSC
B) 6 Blocks of 48 trial sequences each - no feedback (balanced design)
- trial order random
TRIAL SEQUENCE:
-> fixation (randomly chosen presentation time: 400-1600ms, in 100ms increments)
-> audio/no audio signal (50ms)
-> fixation (400ms)
-> cue/no cue (100ms)
-> fixation (400ms)
-> target (max.1700ms)
-> intertrialinterval (variable; complete trialduration = 4450s)
(see Ishigami & Klein, 2011)
In this script, stimuli are presented in proportional sizing to the canvas.
Fine-tune fontsize of stimuli, distance of flanker to target, and position of target above and below
fixation cross under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS.
The audio signal was produced in Audacity:
2000Hz, 50ms with amplitude = 1
Instructions are modelled after the instructions used for the Inquisit ANT and updated for
the ANT-I by Millisecond.
(which use instruction based on: https://www.sacklerinstitute.org/cornell/assays_and_tools/)
can be edited in script "ant_i_instructions_inc.iqjs"
File Name: ant_i_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 |
| alertingEffectRT | MeanCorrRTNoAudio - meanCorrRTAudio => Effect of achieving and maintaining alertness |
| orientingEffectRT | MeanCorrRTInvalidSC - meanCorrRTValidSC => Effect of orienting attention towards a specific location of information |
| executiveEffectRT | MeanCorrRTincongruent - meanCorrRTcongruent => Effect of resolving conflict between several possible responses (executive function) |
| meanCorrRT | Overall mean response time (in ms) of correct responses across all testblock trials |
| meanCorrRTAudio | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Audio signal condition (beep was played) |
| meanCorrRTNoAudio | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in NoAudio signal condition (beep was not played) |
| meanCorrRTNoCue | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in NoCue condition |
| meanCorrRTValidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in ValidSC condition |
| meanCorrRTInvalidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in InvalidSC condition |
| meanCorrRTCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in trials with target-congruent flankers (flankers that point in the same direction as target) |
| meanCorrRTIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in trials with target-incongruent flankers (flankers that point in the opposite direction as target) |
| meanCorrRTAudioNoCue | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Audio signal/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioValidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Audio signal/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioInvalidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Audio signal/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioNoCue | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in No Audio signal/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioValidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in No Audio signal/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioInvalidSC | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in No Audio signal/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Audio signal condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Audio signal condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent No Audio signal condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent No Audio signal condition |
| meanCorrRTNoCueCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoCueIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTValidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTValidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTInvalidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTInvalidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioNoCueCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Audio/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioNoCueIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Audio/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioValidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioValidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioInvalidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTAudioInvalidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioNoCueCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent No Audio/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioNoCueIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/No Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioValidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent No Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioValidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioInvalidSCCongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Congruent No Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| meanCorrRTNoAudioInvalidSCIncongruent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| alertingEffectAcc | PropCorrectNoAudio - propCorrectAudio => Effect of achieving and maintaining alertness |
| orientingEffectAcc | PropCorrectInvalidSC - propCorrectValidSC => Effect of orienting attention towards a specific location of information |
| executiveEffectAcc | PropCorrectincongruent - propCorrectcongruent => Effect of resolving conflict between several possible responses (executive function) |
| meanCorrAcc | Overall proportion correct responses across all testblock trials |
| propCorrectAudio | Proportion correct responses in Audio signal condition (beep was played) |
| propCorrectNoAudio | Proportion correct responses in NoAudio signal condition (beep was not played) |
| propCorrectNoCue | Proportion correct responses in NoCue condition |
| propCorrectValidSC | Proportion correct responses in ValidSC condition |
| propCorrectInvalidSC | Proportion correct responses in InvalidSC condition |
| propCorrectCongruent | Proportion correct responses in trials with target-congruent flankers (flankers that point in the same direction as target) |
| propCorrectIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in trials with target-incongruent flankers (flankers that point in the opposite direction as target) |
| propCorrectAudioNoCue | Proportion correct responses in Audio signal/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioValidSC | Proportion correct responses in Audio signal/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioInvalidSC | Proportion correct responses in Audio signal/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioNoCue | Proportion correct responses in No Audio signal/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioValidSC | Proportion correct responses in No Audio signal/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioInvalidSC | Proportion correct responses in No Audio signal/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Audio signal condition |
| propCorrectAudioIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Audio signal condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent No Audio signal condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent No Audio signal condition |
| propCorrectNoCueCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent No Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoCueIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent No Cue condition |
| propCorrectValidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectValidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectInvalidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectInvalidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioNoCueCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Audio/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioNoCueIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Audio/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioValidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioValidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioInvalidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectAudioInvalidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioNoCueCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent No Audio/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioNoCueIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/No Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioValidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent No Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioValidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/Valid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioInvalidSCCongruent | Proportion correct responses in Congruent No Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
| propCorrectNoAudioInvalidSCIncongruent | Proportion correct responses in Incongruent No Audio/Invalid Spatial Cue condition |
File Name: ant_i_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. |
| blockCount | Counts the number of test blocks run (custom counter) |
| trialCount | Counts the number of trials run in each block (resets after practice) (custom counter) |
| audioCondition | The current audio (cue) condition: 1 = beep is played; 0 = no beep is played |
| cueCondition | The current (visual) cue condition (NoCue; ValidSC, InvalidSC) NoCue: no visual cue is provided ValidSC: valid spatial cue -> the provided star correctly signals the location of arrows InvalidSC: invalid spatial cue -> the provided star is not located in the location the arrows will appear |
| congruence | The current flanker condition (1 = congruent; 0 = incongruent) |
| targetPosition | Position of target relative to fixation (2 = above fixation; 1 = below fixation) |
| targetDirection | The direction of the target (0 = right; 1 = left) |
| picture.flanker1.currentItem | The current picture presented as the left flanker |
| picture.flanker2.currentItem | The current picture presented as the center-left flanker |
| picture.target.currentItem | The current picture presented as the center target |
| picture.flanker3.currentItem | The current picture presented as the center-right flanker |
| picture.flanker4.currentItem | The current picture presented as the right flanker |
| targetY | The vertical percentage coordinate of the target (Top = 0% - Bottom = 100%) |
| flanker1Y | The vertical percentage coordinate of the flankers |
| cue1Y | The vertical percentage coordinate of the cues |
| response | The response of participant (scancode of response button: 18 = left E; 23 = right I; 57 = spacebar) |
| correct | Correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error) |
| latency | Response latency (in ms); measured from onset of target until response is made or trial times out |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Sizing Parameters |
||
| fontSizeFixation | Regulates the size of the fixation cross, in canvas height percentage | 5% |
| cueSize | Regulates the size of the cues, in canvas height percentage | 5% |
| arrowSize | Regulates the size of the target/flanker, in canvas height percentage | 6% |
| flankerDistance | The relative screen distance between stimuli, in canvas width percentage | 7% |
| topY | The y-coordinate of the target above the fixation cross | 45% |
| bottomY | The y-coordinate of the target below the fixation cross | 55% |
Timing Parameters |
||
| readyDuration | Sets the duration (in ms) of the get-ready trial | 2000 |
| completeTrialDuration | Sets the complete duration of one trial sequence | 4450 |
| audioDuration | Sets the duration (in ms) allotted to the audio signal the duration of the audio signal is predetermined by the length of the audiofile in this script | 50 |
| audioCueIsi | Sets the duration (in ms) of the fixation cross after the audio signal | 400 |
| cueDuration | Sets the duration of the cue presentation | 100 |
| cueTargetIsi | Sets the duration of the fixation cross after cue presentation | 400 |
| targetDuration | Sets the maximal duration of the target/flanker presentation | 1700 |
| practiceFeedbackDuration | Sets the duration of the feedback trial during practice | 750 |
Response Keys |
||
| responseKeyLeft | The left response key | "E" |
| responseKeyRight | The right response key | "I" |