Last Modified: January 01, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a simple Lexical Decision Task to investigate semantic memory and lexical access. The implemented procedure is based on:
Lepore & Brown (2002), The Role of Awareness: Divergent Automatic Stereotype Activation and Implicit Judgment Correction, Social Cognition, 20 (4), pp 321-351.
This script uses placeholders for actual stimuli.
3 minutes
Participants are asked to categorize words into words and nonwords by pressing the E-key (non words) or I-key (words) as fast as possible when a word/nonword stimulus appears on screen.
3 types of words (category words, neutral words, nonwords) tested within participants in a mixed design
1 Practice Block: 6 trials (3 neutral words, 3 nonwords; order randomly selected)
1 Test Block: 52 trials (13 category words, 13 neutral words, 26 non words; order and stimuli randomly selected)
Trial Sequence:
• (for 700ms) -> stimulus (250ms) -> blank screen until response (latency measured from onset of stimulus)
(Durations can be edited under section Editable Parameters)
are spaceholders - actual stimuli can be easily inserted under section Editable Stimuli
can be edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: lexicaldecisiontask_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 |
| propCorrect | Overall proportion correct across all testtrials |
| meanRT | Overall mean latency of correct responses across all correct testtrials |
| std | Overall standard deviation of correct latencies |
| medianRT | Overall median latency of correct responses across all correct testtrials |
| propCorrectCatW | Proportion correct of responses to category words |
| meanRTCatW | Mean latency of correct responses to category words |
| stdCatW | Standard deviation of correct responses to category words |
| medianRTCatW | Median latency of correct responses to category words |
| propCorrectNeutralW | Proportion correct of responses to neutral words |
| meanRTNeutralW | Mean latency of correct responses to neutral words |
| stdNeutralW | Standard deviation of correct responses to neutral words |
| medianRTNeutralW | Median latency of correct responses to neutral words |
| propCorrectNonW | Proportion correct of responses to non words |
| meanRTNonW | Mean latency of correct responses to non words |
| stdNonW | Standard deviation of correct responses to non words |
| medianRTNonW | Median latency of correct responses to non words |
File Name: lexicaldecisiontask_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, group, | With the current subject/groupnumber |
| 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 |
| condition | "Category Word", "Neutral Word", "Non Word" |
| presentedStim | The currently presented word or non-word |
| response | The participant's response (scancode of response button) 18 = E (non word) 23 = I (word) 57 = spacebar |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); latency measured from onset of stimulus |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| fixationDuration | The duration (in ms) of the fixation stimulus presented at the start of each trial | 700ms |
| stimDuration | The duration (in ms) of the presented word/nonword in ms | 250ms |
| stimSize | The proportional height (to active canvas) of the stimuli | 5% |