Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 28, 2015
Last Modified: January 06, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a Millisecond's version of the Groton Maze Test, a measure of immediate- and delayed-term visuospatial memory and information processing speed.
Note the script runs with proportional sizing by default. Researchers can select to run the task with an absolute screen size to ensure that distances stay the same across devices. See section Defaults for more info.
Schroder, M.D, Snyder, P.J, Sielski, I. & Mayes, L. (2004). Impaired performance of children exposed in utero to cocaine on a novel test of visuospatial working memory. Brain and Cognition, 55, 409–412.
Pietrzak, R. H., Cohen, H., & Snyder, P. J. (2007). Learning efficiency and error monitoring in normal aging: An investigation using a novel hidden maze learning test. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 22, 235–245.
Mathewson, K.J., Dywan, J., Snyder, P.J., Tays, W.J., & Segalowitz, S.J.(2008). Aging and electrocortical response to error feedback during a spatial learning task. Psychophysiology, 45, 936–948.
7 minutes
Participants are asked to follow/find a hidden pathway in a 10x10matrix from the left upper corner to the right lower corner. They can only move one square at a time, left or right or up or down. By default, the pathway requires 28 moves (not counting clicking the start square) and 11 corners. Participants work on the same maze 6 times: 5 immediate rounds and 1 delayed one.
Instructions are provided by Millisecond.
They can be edited in script grotonmaze_instructions_inc.iqjs
File Name: grotonmazetest_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| selectedPathway | Contains the itemnumber of the randomly assigned pathway |
Overall Summary Performance Metrics |
|
| errorCountLE | Number of LE errors across rounds 1-5 |
| errorCountPE | Number of PE errors across rounds 1-5 |
| errorCountRbE | Number of RbE errors across rounds 1-5 |
| meanCMS | Calculates the mean 'Correct Moves made per Second' in rounds1-5 => Maze Efficiency Index |
By Round |
|
| cms1-cms5 | Calculates the number of 'Correct Moves made per Second' (CMS) during each immediate learning block (round1-5) |
| cmsDelayed | Calculates the number of 'Correct Moves made per Second' during the delayed learning block |
| duration1-durationDelayed | Stores the duration (in s) of each learning run, starting at first selection (excluding selecting the start square) |
| errors1-errorsDelayed | Stores the number of errors made in each learning run (game #1-5, game Delayed) |
| pathway | Stores the randomly selected pathway (see list.pathways under Editable lists) |
File Name: grotonmazetest_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| 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. |
| selectedPathway | Contains the itemnumber of the randomly assigned pathway |
| countRounds | Counts the number of times block.maze is run |
| nextBox | Stores the cell number of the next correct cell (1-100); from left to right, top to bottom |
| lastCorrectCell | Stores the number of the last correct cell |
| response | The participant's response |
| selectedCell | Stores the cell number of selected cell |
| stop | 0 = block continues 1 = block stops |
| backwardSelection | 1 = the selected cell is already part of the uncovered pathway (participant went backwards on path); correction moves do not count 0 = the selected cell is not part of the uncovered pathway |
| repeatSelection | 0 = the selected cell has not been selected/tried yet to find the next correct cell 1 = the selected cell has already been selected/tried to find the next correct cell |
| locationValid | 1 = selected cell is only 1 square away from the last correct cell (valid selection) 0 = selected cell is more than 1 square away from the last correct cell |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| errorType | LE = Legal Error (one/first incorrect selection) Note 1. Excludes not selecting the Start cell at the start of the game PE = Perserverance Error (second incorrect selection in a row - participant failed to return to last correct square) RbE = Rule break Error (third and up incorrect selections in a row) + first errors that are invalid location selections such as diagonal selections |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
| countMoves | Counts the number of moves that participant makes (number of selections; selecting the disc at the beginning is not counted) in a block |
| countCorrectMoves | Counts the number of correct moves that a participant makes in a block |
| countCorrectionMoves | Counts the number of times participant correctly selects the last correct cell in a block after making an error |
| countInvalidFirstMoves | Counts the number of times participants broke the rules in selecting the first cell (excluding not selecting the start square at the start) |
| countErrors | Sums up the number of errors (across types) made in a block |
| consecutiveErrors | Contains the number of Consecutive Errors made (resets after a correct response is given) |
| selectedCellSequence | Stores the sequence of all selected cells per round |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Design |
||
| pathwaySelection | This script provides 5 pathways. Select from "1","2","3","4","5" to select a specific pathway or "random" to randomize the selection | "random" |
| showErrorReminder | True = a verbal reminder to return to the last correct square is presented once participants has selected 3 incorrect squares false = no verbal reminder is presented | true |
Timing Parameters |
||
| delayDuration | The delay duration in ms If delay Duration is set <= 0; a spacebar press continues to the Delayed Maze instead | 600000 |
Color Parameter |
||
| canvasColor | Display color of the actively used portion of the screen (the 'canvas') if set to a color other than the screenColor, you can distinguish the active canvas from the inactive portion of the screen | black |
| screenColor | Color of the screen not used by the canvas ('inactive screen') | black |
| defaultTextColor | Default color of text items | white |