Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: May 14, 2013
Last Modified: June 02, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a version of the Competitive Reaction Time Task which is based on the Taylor Competitive Reaction Time task (Taylor, 1967). The current script incorporates features from several publications (see references)
Bushman, B. J. (1995). Moderating role of trait aggressiveness in the effects of violent media on aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 950-960.
Anderson, C.A. & Dill, K.E. (2000). Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 772-790.
Denson, T.F., von Hippel, W., Richard I. Kemp, R.I. & Teo, L.S. (2010). Glucose consumption decreases impulsive aggression in response to provocation in aggressive individuals. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 1023–1028.
10 minutes
Participants are told that they play a game with a second player (in reality the co-player is the computer). The goal is to be faster to press the mouse button if a target square turns from yellow to red. The 'loser' has to endure a blast of white noise. Before the participant gets to play, she is asked to select (1) the intensity of the blast to be delivered to co-player (0-10) and (2) the duration of the blast to be delivered (0s-2s). The game consists of 25 rounds.
Instructions are provided by Millisecond. They are not original to any of the studies.
See crt_instructions.iqjs
This script computes blastintensity and duration separately (as well as overall) for
- stage 0 (first trial; Denson et al (2010) used first trial aggression as main DV)
- stage 1 (trial 2-9)
- stage 2 (trial 10-17)
- stage 3 (trial 18-25)
File Name: competitivereactiontimetask_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| firstIntensity | Stores the intensity selected for the first round/trial |
| firstDuration | Stores the duration selected for the first roundtrial |
| maxWinLatency | Maximum latency (in ms) that allows player to win the current game; any reaction times above => lose (even if it was a predetermined 'win' trial) default: 700ms |
| meanBlastIntensity | Mean blastintensity (includes all 25 trials) |
| meanBlastIntensity1 | Mean blastintensity of stage 1 (trial 2 - trial 9) |
| meanBlastIntensity2 | Mean blastintensity of stage 2 (trial 10 - trial 17) |
| meanBlastIntensity3 | Mean blastintensity of stage 3 (trial 18 - trial 25) |
| meanBlastDuration | Mean blastduration in ms (includes all 25 trials) |
| meanBlastDuration1 | Mean blastduration in ms of stage 1 (trial 2 - trial 9) |
| meanBlastDuration2 | Mean blastduration in ms of stage 2 (trial 10 - trial 17) |
| meanBlastDuration3 | Mean blastduration in ms of stage 3 (trial 18 - trial 25) |
| meanrtIntensity | Mean latency (in ms) of setting intensity (includes all 25 trials) |
| meanrtDuration | Mean latency (in ms) of setting duration (includes all 25 trials) |
| meanrtReady | Mean latency (in ms) of selecting Ready button (all trials) |
| meanrtTarget | Mean latency (in ms) of target response when target turns red (all trials) |
File Name: competitivereactiontimetask_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file. |
| trialCount | Custom trialCounter |
| volume | Records the volume with which the blast has to be delivered |
| win | 0 = participant wins; 1 = participant loses |
| outcomeDuration | Stores current duration of outcome trial (depends on feedback or blastduration) |
| blastDuration | Stores the current duration selected by participant in levels (1-10) |
| blastDurationMS | Stores the current selected duration in ms |
| blastIntensity | Stores the current intensity selected by participant |
| feedbackDuration | Stores the current feedback duration (duration chosen by 'co-player') |
| feedbackIntensity | Stores the current feedback intensity (intensity chosen by 'co-player') |
| rtIntensity | Stores the current latency (in ms) for selecting intensity |
| rtDuration | Stores the current latency (in ms) for selecting duration |
| rtReady | Stores latency (in ms) to select ready button |
| rtTarget | Stores latency to (in ms) of target response when target turns red |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Design |
||
| firstOutcomePredetermined | 1 = first trial outcome (win/loss) is set by experimenter 0 = should be randomly determined IF firstoutcome_predetermined = 1 (default) | 1 |
| firstwin | 1 = participant wins first trial 2 = participant loses first trial | 0 |
| showCoplayersettings | 1 = only show co-player settings for losing trials 2 = always show co-player settings | 1 |
Timing Parameters |
||
| maxWinLatency | Maximum latency that allows player to win the current game; any reaction times above => lose (even if it was a predetermined 'win' trial) | 700 |
| revealDuration | How long each participant sees parameter settings of 'co-player' | 4000 |
| timerDuration | Amount of time a timer is presented on the screen to alert participants that game starts soon | 10000 |
Duration Settings (Duration Of Aversive Sound In Ms) |
||
| duration0 | 0 | |
| duration1 | 0.5 | |
| duration2 | 0.67 | |
| duration3 | 0.83 | |
| duration4 | 1 | |
| duration5 | 1.17 | |
| duration6 | 1.33 | |
| duration7 | 1.5 | |
| duration8 | 1.67 | |
| duration9 | 1.83 | |
| duration10 | 2 | |