Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Last Modified: January 07, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script runs an experiment designed for kids based on the dove-hawk paradigm (aka Game of Chicken)*. The basic premise of the dove-hawk paradigm is that two people compete for the same resources and have to decide to (a) take the resources fast or (b) wait for the opponent's decision. If they decide to take the resource they can either win the resource (=> the other person waited) or experience a devastating loss (=>the other person also went for the resource). If they wait they either don't get the resource (=> the other person went for the resource) or are able to share it (=> the other person also waited).
•Reference for Dove-Hawk Paradigm (aka Game of Chicken): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_(game)
12 minutes
In this experiment, kids are asked to collect as many bananas as they can for a hungry monkey named "Charly" while competing with a (computer-generated) "second player", e.g. "Alex"*. In order to decide if they want to a) wait to see what the opponent is doing (=dove behavior) or b) take the bananas right away (=hawk behavior) they have to consider the following rules that determine the outcome of their decisions:
1) If the participant takes the bananas and the opponent waits, the participant gets the full amount of the offered bananas 2) If the opponent takes the bananas and the participant waits, the participant neither wins nor loses any bananas 3) If the opponent and the participant wait, they equally share the bananas (each gets half) 4) If both take the bananas, they each lose double the amount of bananas offered
The experiment offers 3 basic blocks that vary the probability with which the computer-generated opponent decides to take bananas
(=hawk) or wait (=dove):
1) Mixed Block: p(hawk) = 0.5
2) Hawk: p(hawk) = 0.8
3) Dove: p(hawk) = 0.2
In each of these blocks, participants are presented with 15 trials in which they have to make a dove-hawk decision.
The name of the opponent for each block is randomly pulled from a pool of 3 gender-neutral names
if trial sequence needs a build-in delay, there are several editable parameter that can be set to accomplish a delay.
A second round of the three basic blocks continuously increases the amount of bananas that can be won by 2
(max amount of bananas that can be won = 30, max of bananas that can be lost = 60).
provided by Millisecond - check under section EDITABLE STIMULI
provided by Millisecond - check under section EDITABLE INSTRUCTIONS
File Name: dovehawk_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 |
| pTotal | The total sum of bananas won |
File Name: dovehawk_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 |
| opponentName | Name of the current opponent |
| pHawk | Probability of hawk-strategy (likelihood that opponent "takes" the bananas) |
| winAmount | Current amount of bananas that can be won |
| compStrategy | Opponent's decision: 1 = hawk (=take), 0 = dove (=wait) |
| response | The response box that participant clicked |
| pResponse | Participant's choice: 1 = hawk (take), 0 = dove (=wait) (interpretation of selected response box) |
| latency | Time it took participant to make a choice in ms (once the response boxes were presented) |
| outcome | The outcome of the "fight": 1 = opponent wins, 2 = participant wins, 3 = both lose, 4 = compromise |
| pTotal | The total sum of bananas won at this time |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| skipDelay | False = delay trials are run true = delay trials are not run | true |
| responseBoxDelay | Delay of the response boxes in ms | 0 |
| posttrialPauseChoice | Default = 0 ms | 0 |
| delayDuration | The duration of the delay trial in ms - runs only if skipdelay = false | 5000 |
| posttrialPauseFeedback | Default = 0 ms | 0 |
| nextDelay | Delay of the 'continue/next' buttons after feedback was given | 0 |
| prMixed | Sets the probability of hawk strategy in the mixed condition | 0.5 |
| prHawk | Sets the probability of hawk strategy in the hawk condition | 0.8 |
| prDove | Sets the probability of hawk strategy in the dove condition | 0.2 |