Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 14, 2012
Last Modified: January 06, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the Risky Gains Task, a measure of risk-taking decision-making behavior.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Paulus M.P., Rogalsky, C., Simmons, A., Feinstein, J.S., & Stein, M.B. (2003). Increased activation in the right insula during risk-taking decision making is related to harm avoidance and neuroticism. NeuroImage, 19, 1439-1448.
8 minutes
Accept (Press the Spacebar) or reject (wait) an increasing offer of 20, 40, 80 points. If you choose the 20 points, you are guaranteed to get 20 points (trial ends). If you wait for the 40 points offer, you may a) lose 40 points right away (trial ends) b) get the offer to get 40 points and take it (trial ends) or c) get the offer to get 40 points but reject it and wait for the 80 point offer. Similarly, if you wait for the 80 point offer you a) may lose 80 points right away (trial ends) or b) win it right away (trial ends). The goal of the game is to gain as many points as possible. A new offer sequence is offered every 3.5s (default).
1 Practice Block: 12 practice trials
1 Experimental Block:
• 96 trials with ratio trial.nopunish : trial.punish40 : trial.punish80 = 9:4:3
(=> 54 trial.nopunish, 24 trial.punish40, 18 trial.punish80) (see Paulus et al, 2003)
• These counts ensure that participants always win the same amount of money if they
choose consistently one of the 3 options.
•random sampling (without replacement) of trial types
3 Trialtypes
trial.nopunish: no choice is punished
trial.punish40: choice 40 is punished => if you reject the 20 points, you will lose 40 points
trial.punish80: choice80 is punished => if you reject 20 and 40 points, you will lose 80 points
TrialDuration:
Sequence: offer 20 ->(offer 40)->win/lose feedback screen (20, 40, 80) -> blank screen
• a new sequence is presented every 3.5s (default, see Paulus et al, 2003)
(=> there is no time advantage for any choice)
• each offer lasts 1000ms (unless a positive response is given),
• win/lose feedback screens last 1000ms
• a blank screen is presented as long as necessary to complete the necessary 3.5s (minimum: 500ms)
Trialduration (default: 3500ms) as well as Stimuluspresentation times (default:1000) can be
easily edited under section Editable Parameters.
Totalpoints:
The points that a participant earns are displayed at the bottom of the screen during
the trials (default). To turn off the total points display, change variable parameters.totalshow
under section Editable Parameters.
The soundfiles used to provide auditory feedback are not original and can easily be exchanged for others under
section Editable Stimuli-> Audio Stimuli
Instructions are not original to the task. They are provided by Millisecond
as htm/html pages and can be edited by changing the provided htm/html files.
To edit htm/html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
File Name: riskygainstask_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| totalPoints | Keeps track of the winnings |
Safe Choice |
|
| win20 | Keeps track of all the times participant chooses and wins 20, the completely safe choice |
Risky Choices |
|
| win40 | Keeps track of all the times participant chooses and wins 40 |
| win80 | Keeps track of all the times a participant goes all the way and wins |
| riskyChoices40 | Keeps track of all times participant waits for 40 |
| riskyChoices80 | Keeps track of all times participant waits for 80 |
| lose40 | Keeps track of all the times that a participant waits for an offering of 40 and loses 40 points |
| lose80 | Keeps track of all the times a participant goes all the way and loses |
Latency Measures |
|
| meanrtWin20 | Calculates the mean reaction time (in ms) that it takes to choose 20 |
| meanrtWin40 | Calculates the mean reaction time (in ms) that it takes to choose 40 if 40 is offered |
File Name: riskygainstask_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| trialCount | Counts the trialsequences |
| condition | 0 = no punish condition 1 = punish80 condition 2 = punish40 condition |
| stimulusItem | The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation |
| response | The participant's response, scancode of response button (57 = spacebar; 0 = noResponse) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
Safe Choice |
|
| win20 | Keeps track of all the times participant chooses and wins 20, the completely safe choice |
Risky Choices |
|
| win40 | Keeps track of all the times participant chooses and wins 40 |
| win80 | Keeps track of all the times a participant goes all the way and wins |
| riskyChoices40 | Keeps track of all times participant waits for 40 |
| riskyChoices80 | Keeps track of all times participant waits for 80 |
| lose40 | Keeps track of all the times that a participant waits for an offering of 40 and loses 40 points |
| lose80 | Keeps track of all the times a participant goes all the way and loses |
| totalPoints | Keeps track of the winnings |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| stimulusDuration | An offer is presented for (default) 1s (1000ms); in ms | |
| trialDuration: | Every (default) 3.5 s (3500ms) a new offering sequence begins; in ms | |
| showTotal | 1 = the total points are displayed on the screen for the participants to see (default) 0 = the total points are not displayed on the screen | |
| responseKey | The scancode of the response key | " " for Space Bar |