Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 01, 2012
Last Modified: January 27, 2024 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a sequence of socio-economic decision games called the 'Dicator Game' and the 'Response Game' about the allocation of monetary resources. In the Dictator Game participants get the choice to allocate money in either a more pro-social or less pro-social manner without having to take a possible response of their opponent into account. In the Response Game participants have to make their choices under the assumption that they would allocate the money after their opponent has decided to leave the choice up to them.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Brocklebank, S., Lewis, G.J, & Bates, T.C. (2011). Personality accounts for stable preferences and expectations across a range of simple games. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 881-886.
The script combines the code from the DictatorGame.iqjs and ResponseGame.iqjs scripts that can be downloaded separately and allows experimenters to customize a sequence of Dictator and Response Games.
6 minutes
•Dictator Game Task* A participant (= Player B) gets to allocate money (resources) to another Player A and herself that is presented in a decision tree format. Participant (Player B) has the choice to allocate the money in a more or less "prosocial" manner.
•Response Game Task* Participant (Player B) gets to allocate money to herself and player A (aka computer) in either a a more or less prosocial manner. In the response game, the participant's choice is made under the assumption that player A (aka computer) chooses the "in" choice.
(A) Order of Games played
SHARED CODE -> list.trialorder governs the order in which Dictator and Response Games (Variant A and Variant B)
are played (see Editable Lists)
The default list plays 18 (6 Dictator Games, 6 Response Games Variant A, 6 Response Games Variant B) games in the order
used by Brocklebank et al (2011) (=sequentially) but can be easily edited.
If the default number of trials is changed, edit SHARED CODE -> block.DecisionGames accordingly
and potentially RESPONSE GAME CODE -> LISTS (RESPONSE GAME) -> list.randomchoice
(B) Within-participant control of response keys:
Presentation of designated 'out'/'left' amounts randomized without replacement within participants.
Of the 18 games (default), 9 randomly determined trials will display the designated 'out'/'left' choices on the actual left branch,
the remaining 9 will display them on the actual right branch.
!!!
=> values.responseBranch reflects the actual branch chosen by the participant (A1, A2, B1, B2)
=> 'Response' reflects designated 'out'/'left or 'in'/'right' choices
(C) Amounts allocated:
The amounts allocated are dictated by lists. The amounts provided are the ones used by Brocklebank et al (2011) .
They can easily be edited.
a) Response game amounts:
REPONSE GAME CODE -> LISTS (RESPONSE GAME) -> Lists for Response Game A / Lists for Response Game B
b) Dictator game amounts:
DICTATOR GAME CODE -> LISTS (DICTATOR GAME)
The script provides one picture. Change the selection and selectionmode under
RESPONSE GAME CODE -> STIMULI -> Opponent Picture(s)
Instructions are not original to the task. They are provided by Millisecond
as htm/html pages and can be edited by changing the provided htm/html files.
To edit htm/html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
Instructions can be edited under RESPONSE GAME CODE -> INSTRUCTIONS and DICTATOR GAME CODE -> INSTRUCTIONS
The provided instructions have been inspired by instructions used in these games in the economics social
decision making literature (and use some of the original wording) but have been adapted for this script.
File Name: DecisionGames_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 |
| countOut | Sums up all Out choices |
| countIn | Sums up all In choices |
| countLeftR/countRightR | Sums up all Left/Right choices for Response Games |
| countLeftD/countRightD | Sums up all Left/Right choices for Dictator Games |
| totalParticipant | The total amount Participant owns |
| totalComputer | The total amount the computer owns |
Selected Parameter Values |
|
| showOpponentPic | 1 = (default) a picture of an opponent is displayed on decision tree screen (fine tune picture under STIMULUS -> picture.opponentA or picture.opponentB] 0 = no opponent picture is displayed |
| showParticipantTotal | 1 = show win status of Participant (default) 0 = do not show win status of participant |
| showComputerTotal | 1 = show win status of Computer 0 = do not show win status of computer (default) |
| computerDecisionrule | 1 = coplayer (aka computer) always makes designated 'out'/'left' choice (default) 2 = coplayer always makes designated 'in'/'right' choice 3 = coplayer makes a random choice, dictated by list.randomchoice list.randomchoice is set for 12 Response Games (default) |
| posttrialPause | Sets the posttrialpause for the trials |
File Name: DecisionGames_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 |
| gameType | Stores whether a Dictator game, a ResponseA game (making A choice), or a ResponseB game (making B choice) is played |
| aValueOut-bValueRightR | Contain the out/in, left/right amounts (RESPONDER GAME) |
| aValueLeftD-bValueRightD | Contains the designated left and right A and B values for the Dictator Game |
| branch | 1 = designated "left" and "out" amounts displayed on left 2 = designated "left" and "out" amounts displayed on right |
| responseBranch | The actually selected response branch A1 (choice A on the left) or A2 (choice A on the right), B1 (choice B on the left) or B2 (choice B on the right) !!!! if the participant selected a designated 'left' amount but the amount was presented on the right, ResponseBranch = B2 but Response = left (designated 'left' amount) If a participant always selects the designated 'left' values, Response = left for all trials, but ResponseBranch will reflect the actual branch chosen. |
| response | The participant's response Dicator Game: "in" vs. "out" Response Game: "left" vs. "right" |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
| countOutR | Sums up all Out choices (Response Rame) |
| countInR | Sums up all In choices (Response Rame) |
| countLeftR/countRightR | Sums up all Left/Right choices for Response Games |
| countLeftD/countRightD | Sums up all Left/Right choices for Dictator Games |
| coplayerChoice | Helper variable that determines whether the computer makes an out-left (= 1) /in-right (=0)choice (only relevant to determine the total) |
| totalParticipant | The total amount Participant owns |
| totalComputer | The total amount the computer owns |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| pictureintro | 1 = a separate picture introduction of the co-player is displayed before decision tree screens come up (fine tune picture under STIMULUS -> picture.opponentPic] 0 = no separate picture introduction of the co-player (default) !!! if default value is changed BUT parameters.showOpponentPic = 1; please change selectionmode of picture.opponent (DICTATUR GAME CODE) and picture.opponenta/picture.opponentb (RESPONDE GAME CODE) | |
| showOpponentPic | 1 = a picture of an opponent is displayed on decision tree screen (fine tune picture under STIMULUS -> picture.opponentA or picture.opponentB] 0 = no opponent picture is displayed (default) | |
| showParticipantTotal | 1 = show win status of Participant (default) 0 = do not show win status of participant | |
| showComputerTotal | 1 = show win status of Computer 0 = do not show win status of computer (default) | |
| computerDecisionrule | 1 = coplayer (aka computer) always makes designated 'out'/'left' choice 2 = coplayer always makes designated 'in'/'right' choice 3 = coplayer makes a random choice, dictated by list.randomchoice (default) list.randomchoice is set for 12 Response Games (default) | |
| posttrialPause | Sets the posttrialpause for the trials |