Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 24, 2014
Last Modified: January 31, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a Visual Search paradigm used in a 'Threat' context.
Becker. M.W. (2009). Panic Search: Fear Produces Efficient Visual Search for Nonthreatening Objects. Psychological Science, 20, 435-437.
this script runs with placeholder stimuli
22 minutes
After the presentation of one of three cue types (happy, fearful, neutral) participants are presented a search screen with 3, 6 or 9 pictures randomly arranged in a circle and are asked to indicate as fast as possible whether a target picture (e.g. picture of a house) is present or not.
Design: 3 cue types (happy, fearful, neutral) x 3 set sizes (3, 6, 9) x 2 trialTypes (target present vs. target absent), tested within
By default, the 3 cue types are run in a blocked design with 108 trials each (Becker, 2009) => 18 trials per setSize x trialType condition
The order of the blocks is counterbalanced by groupnumber (see EXPERIMENT).
Set size, trialType, and distribution of distractors/targets are randomized within each block.
cues: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 6 possible pictures per cue type; after 6 random drawings the pool resets.
targets: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 38 targets (default); after 38 random drawings the pool resets.
distractors: randomly sampled (without replacement) from 46 distractors (default); after 46 random drawings the pool resets.
Practice: this script offers a practice block of parameters.practiceTrials trials (default: 10).
It runs parameters.practiceTrials in a mixed design and provides error feedback.
In this script, the task could also be run in a mixed design by setting parameters.blockedCues = false (section Editable Parameters)
This script runs with PLACEHOLDER STIMULI. Insert your stimuli under item.cue1/item.cue2/item.cue3 and
item.distractors and item.targets.
Targets and distractors are arranged in a circle with 9 possible positions.
To fine tune presentation of the distractor/target display circle on different monitors, check
section Editable Parameters -> parameters.pictureHeight/parameters.radiusScreenProportion
Instructions are provided by Millisecond and are not original to Becker (2009).
They can be easily edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: visualsearch_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 |
| propCorrectOverall | Proportion correct across all test trials |
| meanRTOverall | Mean correct latency (in ms) across all test trials |
| propCorrectCue1 | Proportion correct across all cue1 test trials |
| meanRTCue1 | Mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue1 test trials |
| propCorrectCue2 | Proportion correct across all cue2 test trials |
| meanRTCue2 | Mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue2 test trials |
| propCorrectCue3 | Proportion correct across all cue3 test trials |
| meanRTCue3 | Mean correct latency (in ms) across all cue3 test trials |
File Name: visualsearch_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 |
| cueCondition | 1 = happy, 2= fearful, 3 = neutral |
| trialType | Targetpresent vs. targetAbsent |
| setSize | Stores current setSize |
| cueItem | Stores the current cue |
| target | Stores the current target item |
| response | The participant's response (scancode of response button) |
| reponseKey | The translated response scancode |
| responseType | Hit, Miss, FA (False Alarm), CR (Correct Rejection) |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = otherwise) |
| latency | The response latency in ms; measured from onset of images |
| stimuliLocations | Stores the distractor/target itemnumbers and their circle positions (position 1 => 12 o'clock position, then clockwise) |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| responseKeyTargetPresent | The target present responseKey , the left response key | "Y" |
| responseKeyTargetAbsent | The target absent responseKey , the right response key | "N" |
| blockedCues | True: the three cue types are run in a blocked design (default -> Becker, 2009) false: the three cue types are run in a mixed design | |
| trialNumber | The number of visual searches per block | |
| fontSize | The font height (percentage of canvas height) of the Ready cue | 10% |
| fontSizeFixation | The font height (percentage of canvas height) of the fixation cross | 5% |
| cueHeight | The height of the cue picture (percentage of canvas height) fine-tune display of target/distractor circle by editing these parameters below | 30% |
| pictureHeight | The height of the target/distractor pictures (percentage of canvas height) | 15% |
| radiusScreenProportion | The radius of the circle proportional to canvas height Duration Parameters | 0.4 |
| readyDuration | Duration of ready hint in ms | 750ms |
| cueDuration | Duration of cues in ms | 300ms |
| fixationDuration | Duration of fixation cross in ms | 600ms |