Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 20, 2017
Last Modified: January 09, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a computerized version of the the 'Me-not me' reaction time task; a task to study self-concept particularly in the context of relationships.
The implemented procedure is similarly to the one described in:
Aron, A, Tudor, M, Aron, E, & Nelson, G. (1991). Close relationships as including other in the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(Feb 91), 241-253.
Slotter, E.B. ; Gardner, W.L. & Simpson, J. (2009). Where Do You End and I Begin? Evidence for Anticipatory, Motivated Self–Other Integration Between Relationship Partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol.96(6), pp.1137-1151
2 minutes
Participants are presented a series of trait descriptors, one at a time in the middle of the screen, and are asked to sort the traits as fast as possible via a keypress into category 'me' (-> applies to me a lot) or 'not me' (-> doesn't really apply to me).
(1) Practice Block: 5 practice traits are presented to practice the procedure
The practice block turns into the test block without further instructions
(2) Test Block:
• by default the test blocks runs once (see editable parameters.nrCategorizationBlocks)
• by default, each test block runs 45 items
(15 positively valenced descriptors, 15 neutral descriptors, 15 negatively valenced descriptors)
=> number of traits presented adapts automatically to the number of traits listed under item.traits
(see section Editable Stimuli)
• order of traits is selected randomly
Trial Sequence:
trait presented until categorization response -> ITI (default:1000ms)
trait words for this script were selected from:
Anderson, N. H. (1968). Likableness ratings of 555 personality-trait
words. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 9, 272-279.
Positive Traits: likeability score > 450
Neutral Traits: 350 > likeability score > 250
Negative Traits: 150 > likeability score
(the likeability scores of the default practice traits in this script fall outside these ranges)
The traits can easily be adapted under section Editable Stimuli.
provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: menotme_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 |
| meanRTMe | Mean latency (in ms) of 'me' categorization across all trait words |
| meanRTNotme | Mean latency (in ms) of 'notme' categorization across all trait words |
| meanRTMePositive | Mean latency (in ms) of 'me' categorization across all positive trait words |
| meanRTMeNegative | Mean latency (in ms) of 'me' categorization across all negative trait words |
| meanRTMeNeutral | Mean latency (in ms) of 'me' categorization across all neutral trait words |
| meanRTNotmePositive | Mean latency (in ms) of 'not me' categorization across all positive trait words |
| meanRTNotmeNegative | Mean latency (in ms) of 'not me' categorization across all negative trait words |
| meanRTNotmeNeutral | Mean latency (in ms) of 'not me' categorization across all neutral trait words |
File Name: menotme_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 |
| countCategorizationBlocks | Running total of all test categorization blocks |
| countCategorizationTrials | Running total of the trials within each categorization block |
| stimulusItem | The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation |
| valence | Valence of the presented trait: "positive" vs. "negative" vs. "neutral" |
| response | Scancode of the selected response key (e.g. 18 = E; 23 = I) |
| responseCategory | Response category selected: "me" vs. "not me" |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| leftKey | The left response key (here: E) | |
| rightKey | The right response key (here: I) | |
| leftCategory | 1 = category 'me'; 2 = category 'not me' (left category is assigned 'me' category) | |
| leftCategory | Label of left category ('me') | |
| rightCategory | 1 = category 'me'; 2 = category 'not me' (right category is assigned 'not me' category) | |
| rightCategory | Label of right category ('not me') | |
| traitSize | Size of trait descriptor proportional to canvas height | 8% |
| iti | Intertrial duration (in ms) | 1000ms |
| readyDuration | Duration (in ms) of the 'get ready' trial | 5000ms |
| nrCategorizationBlocks | Number of times the categorization blocks runs | 1 |