Split Visual Field Task

Technical Manual

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

Created: January 17, 2014

Last Modified: January 16, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script runs the Split Visual Field Paradigm to study information processing loads across hemispheres.

The implemented procedure is based on:

Patel UJ, & Hellige JB. (2007). Benefits of interhemispheric collaboration can be eliminated by mixing stimulus formats that involve different cortical access routes. Brain Cognition, 63, 145-58. Epub 2006 Dec 15.

Duration

60 minutes

Description

Participants are presented with 3 number stimuli on the screen: 2 numbers on the top of the screen - one in the upper left quadrant and one in the upper right quadrant- and one number either in the bottom left or the bottom right quadrant. Participants have to press the if the number on the bottom is a match to one of the top displayed numbers. Numbers can either be digits or dice dots. The two top stimuli are always of the same format.

Experiment 1 (parameters.version = 1): • Random sampling of numbers (without replacement) from numbers 1-6 • Matches = same number

Experiment 2 (parameters.version = 2): • Random sampling of numbers (without replacement) from numbers 1-6 with following restrictions: never show 1 and 2 together (numbergroup 1), never present 3 and 4 together (numbergroup2), never present 5 and 6 together (numbergroup3) • Matches = number from the same numbergroup (NEVER the actual same number)

Procedure

3 format conditions: only digits (Digits), only dice Dots (Dots) or mixed (Mixed) formats
are tested within participants in a blocked design.

Block order is tested in a Latin Square design between participants.

Mixed format has 2 variations (A or B):
A: top numbers are digits and bottom number is a dice Dot
B: top numbers are dice Dots and bottom number is a digit

- Assignment is done by groupnumber (1-6)
(see section EXPERIMENT for details on how participants are assigned to each condition)

Test Blocks:
- 64 trials per format block; 4 blocks of the same format run sequentially => 256 trials per format
- 32 Match trials; 32 NoMatch trials
- 16 of the 32 (Match/NoMatch) trials present the digit on the left (right)
- 8 of the 16 Match trials with digits on the left (right) present the matching digit on the SAME monitor side;
the other 8 present the matching digit on the opposite (ACROSS) side
(=> 16 Same Match trials and 16 Across Match trials per block)

version 2: numbergroups are determined randomly with each numbergroup having the same probability of being sampled,
the actual frequency of each of the 3 numbergroups might, however, differ.

Practice Blocks:
- 1 practice block before each format test condition
- 24 trials
- error feedback: present (1) the previous number set-up and (2) correct response (3) errorbeep

Trial Sequence:
- Fixation Cross:
• present fixation cross for 2100ms (default) before onset of number array,
• present short beep 1050ms (default) before onset of number array
- Number Array (depending on format): numbers are presented for 195ms (default);
participants have 2100ms to respond (by default, a new trial sequence starts either
after a response or after 2100ms whichever comes first)
- Practice only: Error Feedback trial

Stimuli

Digits: 1-6
Dice Dots: 1-6, provided by Millisecond (can be replaced under Editable Stimuli -> item.diceDots)

USER INTERFACE
Display of Stimuli (Size and Position) on-screen can be controlled via Editable Values.

Instructions

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).

!!! the default instructions are for Experiment 1 (version 1). If version 2 is run, the instructions
need to be updated accordingly.

Summary Data

File Name: splitvisualfield_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
version 1 = Experiment1 set up (same numbers = the actual same numbers)
2 = Experiment2 set up (same numbers = number from same category)
mixedCondition "A": digits on top, dice Dot on bottom
"B": dice Dot on top, digits on bottom (tested between participants)
blockOrder 1 = Digits, Dots, Mixed
2 = Mixed, Digits, Dots
3 = Dots, Mixed, Digits
No-Match Trials
list.accDigitsNoMatch.itemCount Number of trials in which only digits without a match were presented
propCorrectDigitsNoMatch Prop correct for trials in which only digits without a match were presented
meanErrorRTDigitsNoMatch Mean error latency for incorrect responses in trials in which only digits without a match were presented
list.accDotsNoMatch.itemCount Number of trials in which only dots without a match were presented
propCorrectDotsNoMatch Prop correct for trials in which only dots without a match were presented
meanErrorRTDotsNoMatch Mean error latency for incorrect responses in trials in which only dots without a match were presented
list.accMixedNoMatch.itemCount Number of trials in which mixed formats without a match were presented
propCorrectMixedNoMatch Prop correct for trials in which mixed formats without a match were presented
meanErrorRTMixedNoMatch Mean error latency for incorrect responses in trials in which mixed formats without a match were presented
Match Trials
list.accDigitsMatchSame.itemCount Number of digit only trials with a same side match
propCorrectDigitsMatchSame Prop correct for digit only trials with a same side match
meanrtDigitsMatchSame Mean correct latency digit only trials with a same side match
list.accDigitsMatchACross.itemCount Number of digit only trials with a cross side match
propCorrectDigitsMatchACross Prop correct for digit only trials with a cross side match
meanrtDigitsMatchACross Mean correct latency digit only trials with a cross side match
list.accDotsMatchSame.itemCount Number of Dot only trials with a same side match
propCorrectDotsMatchSame Prop correct for Dot only trials with a same side match
meanrtDotsMatchSame Mean correct latency Dot only trials with a same side match
list.accDotsMatchACross.itemCount Number of Dot only trials with a cross side match
propCorrectDotsMatchACross Prop correct for Dot only trials with a cross side match
meanrtDotsMatchACross Mean correct latency Dot only trials with a cross side match
list.accMixedSame.itemCount Number of mixed format trials with a same side match
propCorrectMixedMatchSame Prop correct for mixed format trials with a same side match
meanrtMixedMatchSame Mean correct latency mixed format trials with a same side match
list.accMixedACross.itemCount Number of mixed format trials with a cross side match
propCorrectMixedMatchACross Prop correct for mixed format trials with a cross side match
meanrtMixedMatchACross Mean correct latency mixed format trials with a cross side match

Raw Data

File Name: splitvisualfield_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
version 1 = Experiment1 set up (same numbers = the actual same numbers)
2 = Experiment2 set up (same numbers = number from same category)
mixedCondition "A": digits on top, dice Dot on bottom
"B": dice Dot on top, digits on bottom (tested between participants)
blockOrder 1 = Digits, Dots, Mixed
2 = Mixed, Digits, Dots
3 = Dots, Mixed, Digits
practice 0 = test trials
1 = practice trials
format 'Digits', 'Dots', 'Mixed'
match 'Match' vs. 'NoMatch'
side Lower number is on 'Left' or 'Right'
sideMatch Match is 'same' or 'across' or 'not applicable' (because there is no match)
topLeft The stimulus presented on the top left
topRight The stimulus presented on the top right
bottom The stimulus presented on the bottom
bottomPosition Stores the x-coordinate of the bottom stim
response The participant's response (scancode of response button)
57 = spacebar (= Match detected)
0 = no response
correct The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect)
latency The response latency; measured from onset of digits/dots
numberGroup Only needed if version = 2 is run
1 = low and middle; (comparison numbers come from the low and middle spectrum: 1 or 2 AND 3 or 4)
2 = low and high; (comparison numbers come from the low and high spectrum: 1 or 2 AND 5 or 6)
3 = middle and high (comparison numbers come from the middle and high spectrum: 3 or 4 AND 5 or 6)

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.

NameDescriptionDefault
version 1 = Experiment1 set up (same numbers = the actual same numbers) (default)
2 = Experiment2 set up (same numbers = number from same category)
!!! Instructions are provided for version 1; if version 2 is run
the instructions need to be updated accordingly
responseKey The response key " " => SPACEBAR
Fine-Tuning Of Ui: See Patel & Hellige (2007, P. 149) For Specifics
fontSizeTarget Fontsize of the targets in screen height percentages 10%
pictureHeight Height of dice Dot pictures in screen height percentages 10%
fontSize Fontsize of the fixation mark in screen height percentages 5%
upperLeftX:-
upperLeftY X,y coordinates (in % of screen height/width) for stimuli presented on the upper left side
lowerLeftX:-
lowerLeftY X,y coordinates (in % of screen height/width) for stimuli presented on the lower left side
upperRightX:-
upperRightY X,y coordinates (in % of screen height/width) for stimuli presented on the upper right side
lowerRightX:-
lowerRightY X,y coordinates (in % of screen height/width) for stimuli presented on the lower right side
durations
getReadyDuration Duration (in ms) of the get-ready-trial 3000ms
responseWindow Time (in ms) participants have to respond to stim array presentation 2100ms
fixationDuration Time (in ms) that fixation is presented before the beep 1050ms -> 2100ms presentation of fixation cross before stim array is presented
stimPresentation Time (in ms) the stim array is presented 195ms