Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 07, 2012
Last Modified: January 16, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a timed Spatial Relations Task, a test of spatial reasoning abilities.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Salthouse, T.A. (2006). Mental Exercise and Mental Aging. Evaluating the Validity of the ‘‘Use It or Lose It’’ Hypothesis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 1, 68-87.
12 minutes
Participant gets one figure in a 2-D representation and has to choose amongst 4 possible 3-D figures the one that corresponds to the 2-D representation. Participants have 10 minutes for a max. of 20 items.
1 Testblock with 20 trials (trial.spatialrelations):
trial.spatialrelations present 1 target 2-D picture and 4 possible 3-D answer choices and a clock in the upper left hand
corner. The clock counts down the allotted time (default: 10min). Once the selection is made a blue circle briefly highlights
the selection. If the time is running out (default: 1 min or less) a red oval appears around the clock to
highlight the remaining time.
1 instruction block presents 2 demonstration examples.
To change the selection of Stimuli go to section Editable Stimuli
list.correctanswers contains the corresponding correct answers
edit instructions in script "spatialrelations_instructions_inc.iqjs"
File Name: spatialrelations_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 |
| timelimit | Time allotted for the main task in ms(default: 10min, in ms) |
| timeReminder | A reminder that only (default) 1 min are left (in ms) |
| timeshowselection | Time the selection is briefly highlighted with blue stimulus (default: 50ms) ! that time 'takes away' from the allotted 10min |
| sumCorrect | Sums up the correct choices |
File Name: spatialrelations_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 |
| timelimit | Time allotted for the main task in ms (default: 10min, in ms) |
| target | Contains the current target |
| choice1 - choice4 | Contains the current stimulus for choice1-choice4 |
| correctChoice | Stores the current correct choice |
| response | The participant's response |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
| sumCorrect | Sums up the correct choices |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| timeLimit | Time allotted for the main task | 10min, in ms |
| timeReminder | A reminder that only (default) 1 min are left (in ms) | |
| timeShowSelection | Time in ms the selection is briefly highlighted with blue stimulus ! that time 'takes away' from the allotted 10min | 50ms |