Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: November 19, 2012
Last Modified: June 22, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the General Knowledge Task as used in Redick et al (2012) to assess crystallized intelligence.
Redick, T.S., Shipstead, Z., Fried, D.E., Hambrick, D.Z., Kane, M.J. & Engle, R.W. (2012). No Evidence of Intelligence Improvement After Working Memory Training: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 1-21.
https://englelab.gatech.edu/articles/2013/redick-et-al-20132c-wm-training2c-jepg.pdf
7 minutes
Participants work through trivia questions about literature, world history, geography, and other topics, each with four response options. ( questions are culturally sensitive).
The script presents 10 general knowledge trials (block.generalknowledge)
Each trial presents a target question and 4 answer choices. After participants select their choice via mouse-click,
the selection gets briefly highlighted before the next trial starts.
There are 2 practice problems to familiarize participants with the set-up.
There are 7 min allotted to finish block.generalknowledgetask (default, can be changed under
section EDITABLE PARAMETERS). A clock on the screen counts down the min/s for the participants.
60s (default, can be changed under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS) before the 7 min are up,
a red circle appears around the clock to highlight the remaining time.
Stimuli: language and culture sensitive
- can be edited under section Editable Stimuli in script generalknowledge_instructions_inc.iqjs
Instructions can be edited under section Editable Instructions
in script generalknowledge_instructions_inc.iqjs
File Name: generalknowledge_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 |
| taskDuration | Time alloted to the entire task (default: 420000ms = 7min) |
| numCorrect | Sum up all correct responses (out of 10 total) |
File Name: generalknowledge_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. |
| parameters.taskDuration | Time alloted to the entire task in ms (default: 420000ms = 7min) |
| stimuluitem.1-stimulusitem.2 | The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation |
| choice1-choice4 | Contains the stimulus for the 4 choices |
| correctChoice | Stores the correct choice |
| response | The participant's response |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = otherwise) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from onset of question |
| numCorrect | Sum up all correct responses |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Timing Parameters |
||
| taskDuration | Time alloted to the entire task in ms | 420000 |
| timeReminder | A red circle appears around the clock at this time to highlight how much time is left | 60000 |