Last Modified: January 04, 2024 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements and administers: T.O.V.A. (Test of Variables of Attention), a computerized test of sustained attention and impulsivity with auditory stimuli. The T.o.V.A. is a Continuous Performance Test (CPT) with two simple tones (high/low).
Greenberg, L.M., & Waldman, I.D. (1993). Developmental normative data on the Test of Variable of Attention (T.O.V.A.™). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 1019–1030.
Greenberg, L.M., Kindschi, C.L., Dupuy, T.R., Hughes, S.J. (2016). TOVA: Test of Variable Attention. Clinical Manual. https://files.tovatest.com/documentation/8/Clinical%20Manual.pdf
24 minutes
Participants are presented 2 different tones (each 100ms) at a constant pace (every 2s). If the stimulus is a target (aka high tone), they are asked to press the Spacebar. If it's not a target (aka low tone), they are asked to simply wait for the next stimulus. Participant work through blocks with low frequency and high frequency targets.
5 blocks: total of 698 trials (648 test trials and 50 practice trials); takes ~24 minutes
(errorfeedback is optional, see section Editable Parameters)
Practice: 50 trials with target:nontarget frequency = 1:1 (lasts ~2 minutes)
Test Blocks:
1. Low Frequency1: 162 trials with 36 targets, 126 nontargets (1:3.5)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
2. Low Frequency1: 162 trials with 36 targets, 126 nontargets (1:3.5)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
3. High Frequency1: 162 trials with 126 targets, 36 nontargets (3.5:1)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
4. High Frequency1: 162 trials with 126 targets, 36 nontargets (3.5:1)(lasts ~5.5 minutes) => ~11 min on Low Frequency condition
Test Procedures:
1. Test purpose and instructions displayed.
1b. 2-min Practice Session begins
2. First half of the test begins.
LF ('low frequency') blocks: total of 2 blocks
2a. target/Non-target stimulus presented briefly for 100ms (~22.2% of the stimuli are targets).
2b. Awaits for user response (space bar) or terminates after 2000ms.
2c. Go to 2a until half time is reached.
HF ('high frequency') blocks: total of 2 blocks
3. Second half of the test begins (unannounced).
3a. target/Non-target stimulus presented briefly for 100ms (~77.8% of the stimuli are targets).
3b. Awaits for user response (space bar) or terminates after 2000ms.
3c. Go to 3a until half time is reached
see Greenberg et al (2016, p.16)
target tone: 392hz with 0.8amplitude for 100ms; generated in Audacity
non-target tone: 261.6hz with 1.0 amplitude for 100ms; generated in Audacity
see section Editable Instructions
(adapted from Greenberg & Waldman, 1993)
File Name: tova_auditory_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 |
| minValidLatency | Minimum latency in ms that is considered valid and not anticipatory (default: 200) |
| sumAnticipatoryResponses | Sums up number of anticipatory responses across all test trials |
| percentAnticipatoryResponses | Percentage of anticipatory response during test trials Notes (a) the following summary statistic exclude all anticipatory responses (default: responses with latencies < 200ms) (b) z-scores were adjusted according to Gregg & Sedikides (2010, p.148) If the hit rate / FA rate is 0 => 0.005 is used instead IF the hit rate / FA rate is 1.0 => 0.995 is used instead |
| propCorrectPractice | Overall proportion correct of practice trials |
| overallProportionCorrect | Overall proportion correct of all experimental trials (across all test blocks) |
| meanPostCommissionRT | Mean correct hit latencies (in ms) committed immediately after a commission error (across all test blocks) |
| meanHitRT | Mean hit latency (in ms) of all experimental trials (across all test blocks) |
| sdHitRT | Standard deviation of all hit latencies (across all test blocks) |
| hitRate | Hit rate (across all test blocks) |
| omissionsRate | Omission rate (miss rate) (across all test blocks) |
| commissionRate | False alarm rate (across all test blocks) |
| crRate | Correct rejection rate (across all test blocks) |
| zHr | Z-value of hit rate (across all test blocks) |
| zFAr | Z-value of false alarm rate (across all test blocks) |
| dPrime | D' (parametric measure of discriminability). (across all test blocks) |
| c | C-criterion in signal detection:The absolute value of c provides an indication of the strength of the response bias/response style negative: participant more likely to report that signal (go stims) is present (liberal response style) may favor faster responding in speed-accuracy trade-off response paradigms positive: favoring caution (conservative response style) low frequency targets: across both blocks |
| meanHitRTLF | Mean hit latency (in ms) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| sdHitRTLF | Standard deviation of all hit latencies in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| hitRateLF | Hit rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| omissionsRateLF | Omission rate (miss rate) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| commissionRateLF | False alarm rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| crRateLF | Correct rejection rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| zHrLF | Z-value of hit rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| zFArLF | Z-value of false alarm rate in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| dPrimeLF | D' (parametric measure of discriminability) in low frequency condition (across both low frequency blocks) |
| cLF | C-criterium in low frequency condition high frequency targets: across both blocks |
| meanHitRTHF | Mean hit latency (in ms) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| sdHitRTHF | Standard deviation of all hit latencies in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| hitRateHF | Hit rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| omissionsRateHF | Omission rate (miss rate) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| commissionRateHF | False alarm rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| crRateHF | Correct rejection rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| zHrHF | Z-value of hit rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| zFArHF | Z-value of false alarm rate in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| dPrimeHF | D' (parametric measure of discriminability) in high frequency condition (across both high frequency blocks) |
| cLH | C-criterium in high frequency condition and separate summary variables for each block of LF and HF lf1: first block with low frequency targets lf2: second block with low frequency targets hf1: first block with high frequency targets hf2: second block with high frequency targets |
File Name: tova_auditory_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 |
| frequency | 1 = low frequency condition 2 = high frequency condition 0 = practice |
| response | The participant's key response (scancodes: 57 = Spacebar; 0 = noResponse) |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from onset of target/nontarget |
| anticipatoryResponse | 1 = response is anticipatory (latency < parameters.minValidLatency; default: 200ms) 0 = response is not anticipatory |
| commissionError | 1 = valid commission error (excludes anticipatory responses) 0 = no valid commission error |
| postCommissionHit | 1 = valid hit (excludes anticipatory responses) immediately after a commission error 0 = not a valid hit immediately after a commission error |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| non-target stimulus (in ms) (here: 2000ms) | ||
| squareSize | The size of the target/nontarget shape in canvas height percentage | 5% |
| backgroundSize | The size of the white background in canvas height percentage | 50% |
| mInvalidLatency | Minimum latency in ms that is considered valid and not anticipatory | 200 |
| showPracticeFeedback | True (1): error feedback is presented during practice (default) false (0): no feedback is provided during practice |