Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 10, 2018
Last Modified: January 09, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a Mental Rotation Testing Procedure based on:
Ganis, G and Kievit, R (2015). A New Set of Three-Dimensional Shapes for Investigating Mental Rotation Processes: Validation Data and Stimulus Set. Journal of Open Psychology Data, 3: e3, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jopd.ai
6 - 7 minutes
Participants see images of two 3-D cube objects and have to decide whether the cube objects are the same or mirror images of each other. The cube objects are rotated by 0deg, 50deg, 100deg, and 150deg. By default, in this script participants work on 12 different cube objects (96 trials total = 12 cube objects * 4 rotation angles * 2 sameness categories (same vs. mirror images))
(1) subsetGeneration ('silent block'):
the script randomly selects the number of image subsets (out of 48 possible) as specified by
parameters.subsetSize. By default, the script randomly selects the subsets for the test.
If specific subsets should be used, go to section EDITABLE LISTS and follow instructions.
Once the test subsets have been selected, the script randomly selects 2 more subsets as practice subsets
( this is only possible if not all subsets have been used for the test)
(2) Practice: 16 trials = 2 subsets x 8 images per subset
- images are presented randomly to the participants
- feedback is provided after each trial
(3) Test: number of subsets x 8 images per subset => default: 12 x 8 = 96 trials
- half the images are 'same', half the images are 'different'
- the images are presented randomly with the constraint that no more than 3 same/different are
run consecutively
- no feedback provided
- after every 48 trials (editable, see parameters.restTrial under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS)
participants get a break
Trial Sequence:
ITI (250ms, editable)-> images for max 7500ms (editable) -> ITI
provided by: Ganis, G and Kievit, R (2015) (see article for stimuli generation)
The images are white on a black background.
Sizing can be edited under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS
provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: mentalrotation_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 |
| subsets | The selected subsets for the test (out of 48 possible) |
| subsetsPractice | The selected subsets for practice |
| accPractice | Proportion correct performance across all practice trials |
| acc | Proportion correct across all test trials |
| rt | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses across all test trials |
| accSame | Proportion correct of 'Same' test trials (across all rotation angles) |
| rtSame | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to 'Same' test trials (across all rotation angles) |
| accDifferent | Proportion correct of 'Different' test trials (across all rotation angles) |
| rtDifferent | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to 'Different' test trials (across all rotation angles) |
| acc0 | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| rt0 | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| acc50 | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| rt50 | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| acc100 | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| rt100 | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| acc150 | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| rt150 | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees (across Same/Different trials) |
| acc0Same | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'Same' images |
| rt0Same | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'Same' images |
| acc50Same | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'Same' images |
| rt50Same | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'Same' images |
| acc100Same | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'Same' images |
| rt100Same | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'Same' images |
| acc150Same | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'Same' images |
| rt1500Same | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'Same' images |
| acc0Different | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'different' images |
| rt0Different | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 0 degrees for 'different' images |
| acc50Different | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'different' images |
| rt50Different | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 50 degrees for 'different' images |
| acc100Different | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'different' images |
| rt100Different | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 100 degrees for 'different' images |
| acc150Different | Proportion correct of responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'different' images |
| rt1500Different | Mean response time (in ms) of correct responses to images with rotation angle = 150 degrees for 'different' images |
File Name: mentalrotation_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 |
| subsets | The selected subsets for the test (out of 48 possible) |
| subsetsPractice | The selected subsets for practice |
| trialCount | Counts the number of trials run (resets after practice) |
| stimulusItem | The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation |
| subset | The subset the current image belongs to |
| sameness | "same" vs. "different" |
| rotationAngle | 0, 50, 100, 150 |
| response | The participant's response, scancode of response button 31 = S => same 32 = D => different |
| responseCategory | "same", "different", "no respose" |
| acc | Accuracy of response: 1 = correct response; 0 = otherwise |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from: onset of images until response is made or trial times out |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| subsetSize | The number of subsets used for the test . By default, the script randomly selects the subsets for the test. If specific subsets should be used, go to section LISTS and follow instructions. the script uses 2 different subsets for practice as long as not all 48 subsets are needed for the test. | 12; Max: 48 |
| restTrial | By default, every 48 trials the script provides a rest trial | |
| picSize | Proportional size of images (relative to canvas height) | 40% |
| iti | The intertrial interval in ms (blank screen) before each new image | 250ms |
| responseTimeout | The response Timeout in ms By default, the trial terminates after 7500ms Response Keys | 7500ms |
| responseKeySame | The 'same' response key ; left response key | "S" |
| responseKeyDifferent | The 'different' response key ; right response key the 'same' response key will be presented as the left response key on touchscreen devices; thus it is recommended to use a 'same' key that appears to the left of the 'different' response key on the keyboard as well. | "D" |