___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Coordinate Plane Task ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 07-23-2018 last updated: 02-21-2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 02-21-2025 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements a basic coordinate plane task (Geary et al, 2015) - a measure of visual-spatial perception in which participants are presented coordinate points and asked to place them in a coordinate plane. David C. Geary, Mary K. Hoard, Lara Nugent, Jeffrey N. Rouder (2015). Individual differences in algebraic cognition: Relation to the approximate number and semantic memory systems, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Volume 140, Pages 211-227, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.07.010. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participants are presented coordinate points and are asked to place them in a provided coordinate plane. One practice trial is followed by 24 test trials. Feedback is optional (by default no feedback is provided). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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: 'coordinateplanetask_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 (Note: not all trials that are run might record data; by default data is collected unless /recorddata = false is set for a particular trial/block) NOTE: silent trials that do not collect data are nevertheless still represented in the trialNum count; for example: in this script, by default trial.dotplacement does not store any data to the datafile (/recorddata = false); whereas trial.testsummary does. This was done to declutter the raw data file. However, if all dots that have been placed until the continue button is pressed should be stored in the data file, set /recorddata = true for trial.dotplacement. Anytime trialNum > 2 for a given problem, the participant placed more than one dot before submitting the coordinates. order: "p" for practice trial, 1-24 for test trials stimuli: stores the current point coordinate, e.g. (25, 35) stimX: stores the current x-coordinate of the to be placed point stimY: stores the current y-coordinate of the to be placed point stimQuadrant: the quadrant the to be placed point is in 1 = top right quadrant (x > 0, y > 0) 2 = top left quadrant (x < 0, y > 0) 3 = bottom left quadrant (x < 0, y < 0) 4 = bottom right quadrant (x >0, y < 0) respX: the x-coordinate of the response relative to the coordinate plane (with (0, 0) as the coordinate plane's origin) respY: the y-coordinate of the response relative to the coordinate plane (with (0, 0) as the coordinate plane's origin) responseQuadrant: the quadrant of the response point 1 = top right quadrant (x > 0, y > 0) 2 = top left quadrant (x < 0, y > 0) 3 = bottom left quadrant (x < 0, y < 0) 4 = bottom right quadrant (x > 0, y < 0) x-axis: dot was placed on x-axis y-axis: dot was placed on y-axis origin respRT: stores the time (in ms) spent on placing the current dot (measured from onset of coordinate plane until continue is pressed) paeX: Deviation from linearity for placed x coordinate paeY: Deviation from linearity for placed y coordinate pae: mean of PAE_X and PAE_Y for the current trial quadCor: 1 = the response point was put in the correct quadrant; 0= otherwise eucEr: calculates the Euklidian Distance Error of the currently placed dot (2) Summary data file: 'coordinateplanetask_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)n) meanRT: calculates the mean response time (in ms) to submit a response dot for test trials (measured from onset of problem until continue button is hit) meanEUCEr: mean Euklidian Distance Error pquadCor: percent of points placed in correct quadrant meanPAE: mean deviation for linearity of placed dots meanPAEX: mean deviation for linearity for x-coordinate of placed dots meanPAEY: mean deviation for linearity for y-coordinate of placed dots meanPAEX1: mean deviation for linearity for x-coordinate for dots placed in correct quadrant meanPAEY1: mean deviation for linearity for y-coordinate for dots placed in correct quadrant meanEUCEr1: mean Euklidian Distance Error for dots placed in correct quadrant meanPAEX0: mean deviation for linearity for x-coordinate for dots placed in incorrect quadrant meanPAEY0: mean deviation for linearity for y-coordinate for dots placed in incorrect quadrant meanEUCEr0: mean Euklidian Distance Error for dots placed in incorrect quadrant ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 practice trial: practice coordinates stored under list.targetCoordinates_x_practice/list.targetCoordinates_y_practice - currently: participants have to place a dot before the continue button is activated - onscreen instructions are optional (by default they are presented) 24 test trials: test coordinates stored under list.targetCoordinates_x/list.targetCoordinates_y - the test coordinates are selected in sequence (same order for each participant) - participants have to place a point before the continue button is activated - intertrial interval (blank screen) of 500ms in between each new trial ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS (optional) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ based on Geary et al (2015) and extended by Millisecond Software can be edited under 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. The parameters you can change are: /dotSize: canvas percentage size of the placed dot (default: 1%) /widthOfAxis: canvas percentage size of width of the axes (default: 0.25%) /lengthOfAxis: canvas percentage size of length of the axes (default: 80%) /planeCenterX: the x coordinate (in canvas percentage) of the origin (default: 40%) /iti: intertrial interval in ms (default: 500ms) /showPracticeFeedback: true = participants are given visual feedback in regard to their placement during the practice false = no feedback is provided to participants during the practice (default) /showTestFeedback: true = participants are given visual feedback in regard to their placement during the he test false = no feedback is provided to participants during the test (default) /skipInstructions: true = Script does not provide onscreen instructions to students false = Script provides instructions (default)