Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Millisecond thanks Alex Burgoyne and Jason Tsukahara for collaborating on the Inquisit Squared Tasks!
Created: January 22, 2024
Last Modified: January 11, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements Millisecond's version of the SimonSquared task designed by Burgoyne et al (2023). The SimonSquared task is part of a 'squared' test battery designed by Burgoyne et al (2023). These tasks are designed to provide an additional level of conflict (thus, the 'squared' part of the name) as well as a quick administration time compared to the more traditional designs of their respective tasks.
Note: this script can be run with a fixed or randomized sequence of trials. Millisecond provides five different fixed versions. The version can be set under section Editable Parameters.
Burgoyne, A. P., Tsukahara, J. S., Mashburn, C. A., Pak, R., & Engle, R. W. (2023). Nature and Measurement of Attention Control. Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 152(8), 2369–2402. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001408
Task made available at: https://osf.io/7q598/
3 minutes
Participants view a top stimulus (the 'target') - an arrow pointing left or right- on the left or right side of the screen.
Below the target, participants get two response options: a left response stimulus displaying the words LEFT or RIGHT and a right response stimulus displaying LEFT or RIGHT (left and right stimuli are orthogonal to each other)
Participants are asked to match the direction of the target arrow to the semantic label of the response buttons. Afterwards they briefly receive feedback before the task continues.
The setup of the targets/response options fall into four different congruence categories: "FullyCongruent": target arrow direction and screen position as well as semantic label and screen position are congruent "StimCongruent": target arrow direction and screen position are congruent but semantic label and screen position are incongruent "StimIncongruent": target arrow direction and screen position are incongruent but semantic label and screen position are congruent "FullyIncongruent": target arrow direction and screen position as well as semantic label and screen position are incongruent
1. Instruction block with one 'fully incongruent' example (can be repeated as often as necessary)
2. Practice block: runs for 60 seconds (see editable parameters)
- depending on parameters.version:
runs a randomly generated BUT fixed sequence of trials OR runs a randomly generated sequence*
- each response receives visual and auditory feedback for 200ms (see editable parameters)
- if the last trial was timed-out, the block stops
3. Instruction block with one 'fully incongruent' example (can be repeated as often as necessary)
4. Test block: runs for 90 seconds (see editable parameters)
- depending on parameters.version:
runs a randomly generated BUT fixed sequence of trials OR runs a randomly generated sequence*
- each response receives visual and auditory feedback for 200ms (see editable parameters)
- if the last trial was timed-out, the block stops
summary variables for the test are based on completed trials only (timed-out trial is not
considered for correct and incorrect counts)
different versions of the task as well as stimuli used by Burgoyne et al (2023) provided at:
https://osf.io/7q598/.
different versions of the task as well as stimuli used by Burgoyne et al (2023) provided at:
https://osf.io/7q598/.
Instructions were modelled based on the provided eprime script
The instructions are language-specific and run out of script file simonsquared_instructions_inc.iqjs
File Name: simonSquared_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| startdate | Date script 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 |
Parameter Values |
|
| version | 1,2,3,4,5 or random (the version run by this script) |
| practiceFinalScore | The number of points earned during practice |
Test Trials Only |
|
| totalTrialCount | Total number of test trials run (Excluded: last time that is timed-out) |
| finalScore | The number of points earned during the test phase |
| meanCorrRT | Mean correct response time (in ms) overall |
By Congruence |
|
| fullyCongruentTrialCount | Total number of 'fully congruent' test trials run (Excluded: last time that is timed-out) |
| fullyCongruentFinalScore | The number of points earned for 'fully congruent' test trials |
| fullyCongruentMeanCorrRT | Mean correct response time (in ms) for 'fully congruent' test trials |
| stimCongruentTrialCount | Total number of 'stim congruent' test trials run (Excluded: last time that is timed-out) |
| stimCongruentFinalScore | The number of points earned for 'stim congruent' test trials |
| stimCongruentMeanCorrRT | Mean correct response time (in ms) for 'stim congruent' test trials |
| stimIncongruentTrialCount | Total number of 'stim incongruent' test trials run (Excluded: last time that is timed-out) |
| stimIncongruentFinalScore | The number of points earned for 'stim incongruent' test trials |
| stimIncongruentMeanCorrRT | Mean correct response time (in ms) for 'stim incongruent' test trials fullyIncongruentTrialCount: total number of 'fully incongruent' test trials run (Excluded: last time that is timed-out) |
| fullyIncongruentFinalScore | The number of points earned for 'fully incongruent' test trials |
| fullyIncongruentMeanCorrRT | Mean correct response time (in ms) for 'fully incongruent' test trials |
File Name: simonSquared_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 |
Parameter Values |
|
| version | 1,2,3,4,5 or random (the version run by this script) |
| blockCode | Name of the current block |
| blockNum | Number of the current block |
| trialCode | Name of the current trial |
| trialNum | Number of the current trial |
| test | 0 = practice phase; 1 = test phase |
| congruence | "FullyCongruent": target arrow direction and screen position as well as semantic label and screen position are congruent "StimCongruent": target arrow direction and screen position are congruent but semantic label and screen position are incongruent "StimIncongruent": target arrow direction and screen position are incongruent but semantic label and screen position are congruent "FullyIncongruent": target arrow direction and screen position as well as semantic label and screen position are incongruent |
| targetStim | The top stimulus: 0 = left pointing arrow; 1 = right pointing arrow |
| targetImage | Stores the presented image of the target arrow |
| targetPositionPct | Stores the screen position of the target arrow in canvas width percentages 25%: presented on the left side 75%: presented on the right side |
| leftStim | The response word on the left response button |
| rightStim | The response word on the right response button |
| corrResp | The currently correct response button (left or right) correct => the response stimulus whose middle arrow matches the target flankers |
| responseTimeout | The current response timeout (in ms) of the trial |
| blockScore | The total score obtained in the current block |
| stop | 0 = block continues; 1 = block stop criterium has been reached |
Built-In Variables |
|
| response | The response of participant (left or right; 0 = timed out response) |
| correct | Correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error) |
| latency | Response latency (in ms); measured from: stim onset |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Word Sizing |
||
| targetSizePct | The proportional size of the target arrow images | 10% |
| responseSizePct | The proportional size of the response stims | 8% |
Timing Parameters |
||
| practiceDurationS | The duration (in seconds) of the practice round | 60 |
| feedbackDurationMS | The feedback duration (in ms) | 200 |
| testDurationS | The duration (in seconds) of the test round | 90 |