Millisecond thanks Ilana Hairston (hanahai@telhai.ac.il) for sharing the Hebrew translations!
Note from Ilana Hairston:
This script was adapted to be used in Hebrew. Some of the instructions are hidden due to problems with
display of Hebrew fonts. If you want to edit the text, copy and paste the element into any simple text editor,
make the changes and then paste back into Inquisit.
GOOD LUCK!
Last Modified: February 19, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the Continuous Performance Test, a test of sustained and selective attention. This script implements the long version of the task (adult version).
Rosvold, H.E., Mirsky, A., Sarason, M., Bransome, E.D., Jr., and Beck, L.H. A Continuous Performance Test of brain damage. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 20, 343 (1956).
25 minutes
Participants get presented a sequence of letters (one-by-one). Task1: press the Spacebar whenever the letter is an X Task2: press the Spacebar whenever the letter is an X that follows an A.
(1) phase "X":
- 2 blocks practice
- 20 (long version) test blocks (duration of test blocks: ~ ~10 min total for long version)
- each blocks runs 31 letters with 8 targets (order is randomly determined)
- the no-target letters are selected randomly WITH replacement from item.xLetters
(2) phase "AX"
- 2 blocks practice
- 20 (long version) test blocks
- each block runs 31 letters with: 6 targets (target = letter X that follows an A) ~10 min total for long version)
- the no-target letters are selected randomly WITH replacement from item.axLetters (with the constraint that no A is followed by an X)
in this script, any letter can precede an X (including X itself); any letter can follow an A (including A itself);
the number of 'no-signal As' as well as 'no target Xs' are randomly determined per block
Trial Sequence:
letter (690ms)-> ISI: blank screen (230ms)-> letter....
response is accepted until end of letter duration
(trial timings can be edited under section Editable Parameters)
see section Editable Instructions
File Name: cpt_rosvold_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 |
| blockCountXPractice | Counts the number of practice blocks run for phase X |
| blockCountXTest | Counts the number of test blocks run for phase X |
| blockCountAxPractice | Counts the number of practice blocks run for phase AX |
| blockCountAxTest | Counts the number of test blocks run for phase AX |
| xTestSignalTrialCount | Counts all signal (=target) trials during Phase X |
| xTestMissCount | Number of errors when X was presented but no response was given during Phase X |
| xTestMissRate | Omission rate during Phase X |
| xTestHitRate | Hit rate during Phase X |
| xTestNoiseTrialCount | Counts all non-signal (= non target) trials during Phase X |
| xTestFalseAlarmCount | Number of false alarms during Phase X |
| xTestFalseAlarmRate | Commission rate during Phase X |
| xTestCorrRejectRate | Correct rejection rate during Phase X |
Signal Detection Measures |
|
| zHitRatextest | The calculate z-score of the hitRate during Phase X |
| zFARaTextest | The calculated z-score of the falseAlarm/commission rate during Phase X *Adjustments to z-scores as recommended by Gregg, A. & Sedikides, C. (2010). Narcissistic Fragility Rethinking Its Links to Explicit and Implicit Self-esteem, Self and Identity, 9:2, 142-161 (p.148) => Adjustments are made if the FArate (hitRate) = 0 (increased to 0.005) or 1 (decreased to 0.995)* |
| dPrimeXTest | Computes d' (parametric measure of discriminability btw. signals and noise) => Range (in this script) -5.1516586840152740479 <= dprime <= 5.1516586840152740479 (=perfect performance) => The higher the value, the better signals (go stims) were overall distinguished from noise (nogo stims) (d' = 0: chance performance; negative d-primes: participant treated nontargets as targets and targets as nontargets) |
| cXTest | 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 is present (liberal response style) may favor faster responding in speed-accuracy trade-off response paradigms positive: favoring caution (conservative response style) |
| axTestSignalTrialCount | Counts all signal (=target) trials during Phase AX |
| axTestMissCount | Number of errors when X was presented but no response was given during Phase AX |
| axTestMissRate | Omission rate during Phase AX |
| axTestHitRate | Hit rate during Phase AX |
| axTestNoiseTrialCount | Counts all non-signal (= non target) trials during Phase AX |
| axTestFalseAlarmCount | Number of false alarms during Phase AX |
| axTestFalseAlarmRate | Commission rate during Phase AX |
| axTestCorrRejectRate | Correct rejection rate during Phase AX |
Signal Detection Measures |
|
| zHitRateAXTest | The calculate z-score of the hitRate during Phase AX |
| zFARateAXTest | The calculated z-score of the falseAlarm/commission rate during Phase AX |
| dPrimeAXTest | D' for Phase AX |
| cAXTest | Calculated c-criterion for Phase AX |
File Name: cpt_rosvold_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 |
| phase | Current phase of the procedure: "x practice" vs. "x test", "ax practice" vs. "ax test" |
| blockCountXPractice | Counts the number of practice blocks run for phase X |
| blockCountXTest | Counts the number of test blocks run for phase X |
| blockCountAxPractice | Counts the number of practice blocks run for phase AX |
| blockCountAxTest | Counts the number of test blocks run for phase AX |
| previousLetter | The letter presented in the previous trial |
| currentLetter | The letter presented in the current trial |
| response | The scancode for the key that was pressed (if any) 57 = spacebar press 0 = noResponse |
| correct | Whether the response was correct: 1 = correct; 0 = error |
| latency | The response time in milliseconds; measured from onset of letter |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| restTime | The time of the rest duration in ms | 120000ms => 2 min |
| letterDuration | Duration of the letters in ms (time to respond) | 690ms |
| isi | Interstimulus interval (= blank screen) in ms | 230ms |
| letterHeight | The size (proportional to canvas height) of the the letters | 8% |