Choice Reaction Time Task

Technical Manual

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 08, 2020

Last Modified: January 10, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a Choice Reaction Time Task, a subset of the Cognitive Drug Research Computerized Assessment System (COGDRAS).

References

Nicholl, C.G. et al (1995). THE COGNITIVE DRUG RESEARCH COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM IN SPEED OF THE ESSENCE? THE EVALUATION OF EARLY DEMENTIA. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, VOL. 10: 199-206.

Duration

2 minutes

Description

Participants are asked to press a certain response key (here: Q) whenever the word YES appears in the middle of the screen or press another response key (here: P) whenever the word NO appears.

Procedure

1. Test
- 20 trials (editable parameters)
- half the trial present YES, the other half NO (order is randomly determined, see list.trialselector)

Trial sequence:
- word YES/NO appears (wait for response) -> random iti (1000-2500ms) -> word YES....

Stimuli

provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Stimuli

The word YES/NO - size can be set under section Editable Parameters

Instructions

provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions

Summary Data

File Name: choicereactiontime_cogdras_summary*.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
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
crtAcc The overall proportion correct responses in the Choice Reaction Time test (across yes/no trials)
crtRT The mean response time (in ms) of correct responses in the Choice Reaction Time test (across yes/no trials)
(measured from onset of word 'YES'/'NO' in the center of the screen)

Raw Data

File Name: choicereactiontime_cogdras_raw*.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
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
countTrials Custom counter of test trials (those that present word "YES")
stimulusItem The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation
response The participant's response (scancode of response buttons)
16 = Q
responseLabel "yes" or "no"
correct 1 = correct response
0 = error response
latency The response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of word YES
iti The intertrial interval (in ms) run at the end of the current trial

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.

NameDescriptionDefault
Stimsize
stimSize The proportional sizing of the yes/no-word on screen 20%
Experimental Design Parameters
nrTestTrials The number of test trials run 20
Response Keys
leftKey The left response key (here: Q)"Q"
rightKey The right response key (here: P)"P"
yesKey The assignment of left/right key to the yesKey (here Q); left keys will appear on the left on touch screensparameters.leftKey
noKey The assignment of left/right key to the noKey (here P); right keys will appear on the right on touch screensparameters.rightKey