___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Columbia Card Task (CCT) -- "Cold" Version ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: David Nitz (dave@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC. last updated: 04-24-2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 04-24-2023 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements the 'Columbia Card Task' (CCT) as described in: Figner, B., Mackinlay, R.J., Wilkening, F., & Weber, E.U. (2009). Affective and deliberative processes in risky choice: Age differences in risk taking in the Columbia Card Task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 35, 709–730. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participants are presented with 32 cards, all face down. Some of these cards are 'gain cards' (=make money when turned over), some of them are loss cards (= lose money when turned over). Participant are asked to indicate how many cards they want to turn over for any given trial based on - number of hidden loss cards - amount of money they can make from each gain card - amount of money that they will lose if a loss card is encountered. In the 'cold' version of the Columbia Card Task, participants do NOT get to see the result of their choices (no feedback). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 8 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA OUTPUT DICTIONARY ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The fields in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'cct_cold_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. response: the participant's response in the recorded trial trial.pickcard: the selected card latency: the response latency (in ms), measured from onset of trial gameRound: The current round number trialType: The type of trial, where '1' designates an experimental trial and '0' indicates a filler trial lossCards: The number of loss cards in a given round gainAmount: The gain amount per gain card in a given round lossAmount: The loss amount in a given round nCards: The number of cards turned over by the subject in a given round nSafeCards: The number of cards safe to turn over in a given round score: Points won / lost in a given round totalScore: Points won / lost across the whole task (2) Summary data file: 'cct_cold_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant) inquisit.version: the version/build of Inquisit 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) totalScore: Points won / lost across the whole task ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The CCT relies on a full factorial within-subject design. Three game parameters / factors are varied between trials: (a) Number of hidden loss cards (1, 2, or 3 loss cards) (b) Gain amount per gain card (10, 20, or 30 points) (c) Loss amount (250, 500, or 750 points) There are a total of 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 unique combinations. These are encoded in the list elements in section EDITABLE LISTS. Each of the 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 combinations of factor levels is presented twice, resulting in 54 experimental trials. The presentation of experimental trials is divided into two blocks of 27 trials, i.e. all 27 unique trials are run once in random order and then a second time in a different random order. Note that the experimental trials rely on rigged feedback, i.e. the hidden loss card(s) will always be the last possible card(s) that may be turned over by the participant. For example, in a trial with 2 loss cards, only the 31st card turned over by the subject will be a loss card independent of which cards the subject actually decides to pick. To maintain the impression that respondents are playing a real game of chance, 9 additional trials are randomly interspersed among the 54 rigged experimental trials. All of this is handled by list 'trialtype' (see section EDITABLE LISTS), where the value '0' designates a filler trial (9 times) and the value '1' designates an experimental trial (54 times). Consequently, there will be a total of 63 game rounds (trials) to play. Note that filler trials should be excluded from data analysis. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ provided by Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ see section Editable Instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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. check section Editable Lists for: (a) Number of hidden loss cards (1, 2, or 3 loss cards) (b) Gain amount per gain card (10, 20, or 30 points) (c) Loss amount (250, 500, or 750 points)