___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Millisecond Box Task ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 10-04-2022 last updated: 01-02-2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 01-02-2025 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements Millisecond Software's version of the 'Box Task' by Kessels & Postma (2018). The 'Box Task' is a Visuospatial Memory Task originally written in Microsoft Visual Basic and runs on Windows machines. It allows the computation of different error scores that measure specific working memory processes (i.e., the number of within-search and between-search errors). The original Box Task program by Kessels & Postma provides a stimulus set and a default experimental setup but also allows further customizations of the task. DISCLAIMER: The Inquisit implementation is based on Kessel & Postma's (2017) description of the 'Box Task'. Millisecond Software attempts to replicate the general memory task but differences between the implementations will exist. The Inquisit implementation runs on Windows, Macs, Androids and Ios and can be run online. It thus expands the number of devices/platforms the Box Task can be run on. As the original 'Box Task', the Inquisit implementation provides stimuli and a default setup and allows for some customization of the task via parameter settings. The script provides the functionality to run the script with absolute stimuli sizing. Default settings default back to proportional sizing. Go to 'defaults' setting for more info. Reference: Kessels RPC, Postma A. The Box Task: A tool to design experiments for assessing visuospatial working memory. Behav Res Methods. 2018 Oct;50(5):1981-1987. doi: 10.3758/s13428-017-0966-7. PMID: 28916951. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ N-objects are hidden in N boxes and participants have to find them by opening boxes. Participants are told which specific object to look for next ('target'). If the target box is opened, the program shows the target object for a short period of time before closing the box again. Once found, all objects stay in their boxes, but all boxes will be closed during the search. Thus, if a box is opened that does not contain the target object, it either shows one of the already found objects or it appears empty. Box locations stay the same throughout each run. The default setup of this Inquisit script runs 2 practice rounds (with 3 boxes each), followed by two rounds of 4, 6 and 8 boxes each. The maximum number of boxes that can be run is 10 in the Inquisit script. The individual objects and boxes as well as box locations are randomly determined for each round in this script. Note: the script provides 42 different objects to run with the default set-up without repeating any objects. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 7 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA OUTPUT DICTIONARY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The fields in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'ms_boxtask_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: with the current subject id group: with the current group id session: with the current session id //built-in Inquisit variables: 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. Note: trial.searchEnd currently stores the summary of a target search. response: the response of participant during current trial correct: correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error) latency: response latency (in ms) //custom variables: phase: "practice" vs. "test" roundCounter: a counter that tracks how many rounds have been run in the current phase setSize: the currently tested setsize selectBoxImage: the itemnumber of the current box image targetBoxes: a variable that stores all the target boxes used per round (in the order the target box was selected) newTarget: 1 = a new target was chosen for the last search; 0 = participant continued a target search countTargets: counter that updates the number of targets searched for per round countAttemptsPerTarget: counter that updates how many boxes were opened to find current target targetObject: stores the image file for the current target object targetBox: stores the number of the box that currently hides the target object //custom DVs selectedBox: stores the number of the last box that was selected to open success: 1 = target object was found in the last selected box; 0 = otherwise selectionOrder: stores the order in which the boxes were opened searchAcc: 1 = the current target object was found without making any within or between errors 0 = otherwise countErrorsBetween: counts the number of times participant selected a box that contained an 'old' target (one previously found) and thus could not contain the current target object (reset for each new target object) countErrorsWithin: counts the number of times participants opened a non-target box already checked (and rejected) for the current target (reset for each new target object) Note: repeatedly opening the same non-target box that contains an old target is counted as both a 'between' error AND a 'within' error. totalErrorsBetweenPerRound: sums up all between-errors made during the current round totalErrorsWithinPerRound: sums up all within-errors made during the current round searchTimeIns: stores the search time spent on this round (in s) selectionTimestamps: a storage variable that stores the search timestamps of all selected boxes relative to start of current round Example: '1@1.70 2@3.70' => box1 was opened at 1.7s after roundstart => box2 was opened at 3.7s after roundstart //only relevant for timed out runs: timedOut: timed out rounds record 1 during trial.timedoutFeedback (otherwise the column should be empty) roundTimeout: the current round timeout (in ms) //placement violation flag boxPlacementViolation: 1 (true) = at least one box violated the placement constraint (overlap possible) 0 (false) = no placement violations detected countBoxPlacementViolations: number of violations (2) Summary data file: 'ms_boxtask_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) //////summary data///// meanNumberCorrectSearchesPractice: mean number of correct target searches per practice round (default setup run setsize = 3) correct = the search for a target was conducted without between or within errors //by set size// meanNumberCorrectSearchesSetSize1: mean number of correct target searches per round testing setsize1 correct = the search for a target was successful and no between, within or timeout errors were made countTOSetSize1: the number of timed out (TO) rounds for setsize1 (if task was run without timeout this should be 0) Note: within and between errors counts are only conducted for non-timed out rounds: meanErrorCountWithinSetSize1: mean number of Within errors per non-timed out setsize1 rounds meanErrorCountBetweenSetSize1: mean number of Between errors per non-timed out setsize1 rounds same for setsizes 2-10 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Default Setup //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The default setup of the Millisecond Box Task runs (1) Intro Block: repeatable if necessary (2) Practice Block: runs 2 practice rounds with 3 objects each (3) Test Block: runs 6 rounds with - 2 rounds for 4 objects - 2 rounds for 6 objects - 2 rounds for 8 objects (Note: the highest setsize the Millisecond Box Task can run is 10) //////////////////////////////////////////// Box Placement Algorithm //////////////////////////////////////////// This script randomly selects the position of the boxes in the dedicated 'boxPlacementArea' ensuring that no overlap of boxes happens (at least it should not happen - if it does, values.boxPlacementViolation will flag the data file). The fewer boxes are placed onto the area, the greater the general distance btw. boxes to avoid accidental clumps. //////////////////////////////////////////// Object Selection //////////////////////////////////////////// This script provides 42 objects which is enough to run the default setup without object repetition (3+3+4+4+6+6+8+8 = 42). More objects can be added under section Editable Stimuli. The default setup of this script randomly selects the order of the objects. //////////////////////////////////////////// Target Box Selection //////////////////////////////////////////// The targetboxes are randomly (without replacement) assigned during each round. There are three box types which are selected randomly without replacement with repeats once all three box image types have run. //////////////////////////////////////////// Timed Test //////////////////////////////////////////// The default setup does not impose a time limit for the target searches. Check section Editable Parameters for relevant parameters that allow to impose a timeout for each search round and to present a timer. //////////////////////////////////////////// Round Trial Sequence //////////////////////////////////////////// Each round starts with a "next round" alert and a Start button that needs to be pressed to initiate the next round. Target1: the object for target1 as well as the targetbox is randomly determined. The boxes are presented in the BoxPlacementArea and the targetobject is shown under the BoxPlacementArea. If no response occurs within 5s, a red reminder appears next to the target object. If an empty box is opened, the empty box is revealed for 1000ms (editable parameter). If the target box is opened, the target object as well as a 'next' button is presented. Once pressed, the next target is presented until all targets have been found. If the search is timed out (only happens if parameter settings are changed to run a timed search), the round ends and a message is flashed onto the screen. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section 'Editable Stimuli' ////Images: All object and box stimuli downloaded from: https://pixabay.com/ under the Pixabay license of "Free for commercial use - No attribution required" The script provides 42 object stimuli to run the default setup without object repetition. ////Sounds: success.wav: https://freesound.org/people/grunz/sounds/109662/ licensed under the Attribution 3.0 License and edited in Audacity failure.wav: created in Audacity ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section 'Editable Instructions' The instructions use some of the suggested instructions by Kessels & Postma (2018) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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: //screencolor parameter / screenColor = lightBlue //the color of the inactive part of the screen / defaultTextColor = black / activeCanvasColor = lightBlue //the color of the part of the screen actively used for this script / boxPlacementAreaColor = white //the part of the screen used for box placements will appear white //CANVAS SIZING PARAMETERS //sizing Parameters in RELATIVE measurements relative to CANVAS HEIGHT //NOTE: to run the script with ABSOLUTE screen measurements, go to 'defaults' and set //canvasSize to absolute measurements / boxHeightPct = 15% / objectHeightPct = 12% //timing parameters / targetReminderOnsetMS = 5000 //if a new target is presented and no response occurs within a certain time //frame, the script sends a reminder / revealDurationMS = 1000 //the duration (in ms) that empty boxes are open / rUntimedRounds = false //true = the search during a round is timed //false = the search during a round is untimed //only relevant for timedSearches: / responseTimeoutMS = 1000 //this script calculates the maximum number of boxes that may have to be opened //without making within or between errors to find all objects in a given round //and multiplies that number by 'responseTimeoutMS' and adds the time //dedicated to show open boxes to calculate the round timeout. //For example: //6 boxes => max. 21 boxes to open to find all target objects without error=> //21*responseTimeoutMS + 21*revealDurationMS = 21*1000 + 21*1000 = //42000ms to finish the round / showTimer = true //true: during timed rounds, a timer clock is presented //false: no timer clock is presented //soundEffects / skipSoundEffects = true //true: no sounds (success/failure) are played //false: sound effects are played