Script Author: Jeffrey Q. Ouyang, Millisecond
Last Modified: January 11, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a computerized version of the Adaptive Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), a measure of information processing rate. The procedure is adaptive in that the presentation rate of the digits adapts to performance.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Regular PASAT: Gronwall, D. (1977). Paced auditory serial-addition task: a measure of recovery from concussion. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 44, 367–373.
Adaptive PASAT: Siegle, G. J., Ghinassi, F., & Thase, M. E. (2007). Neurobehavioral therapies in the 21st century: Summary of an emerging field and an extended example of cognitive control training for depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31(2), 235–262. doi: 10.1007/s10608-006-9118-6
10 minutes
Participants hear a sequence of single digit numbers (1-9) presented at a constant speed and are asked to mentally sum the last 2 digits (NOT a running total). Participants then select the current sum from a circle of numbers 1-18 (= nonverbal response). The speed with which the numbers are presented adapts to the performance of the participant
(I) Practice:
• 11 practice trials (+ start trial)
• provides feedback
• default SOA: 4000ms (SOA = stimulus onset asynchrony => every 4 seconds a new number is presented)
(II) Test:
• by default, this script runs 4 test blocks
• by default, the first block starts with SOA = 3000ms (SOA = stimulus onset asynchrony => every 3 seconds a new number is presented)
(a parameters setting controls whether all blocks start with 3000ms or whether SOAs carry over from one block to the next)
• SOAs are adapted in the following way:
- after 4 (default) consecutive correct responses, the SOA gets decreased by 100ms (default)
- after 4 (default) consecutive error responses, the SOA gets increased by 100ms (default)
• each test block runs for 5 minutes (default)
Trial Sequence:
verbal digit presentation (SOA: varies): select sum of last 2 digits from a circle of numbers 1-18
provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions
Instructions are not original to the task. They are provided by Millisecond
as htm pages and can be edited by changing the provided html files.
To edit html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
File Name: pasat_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 |
| countCorrect | Counts the number of correct responses across all test blocks |
| countNR | Counts the number of no responses |
| countErrors | Counts the number of addition errors across all test blocks (could include random selections) |
| countSF | Counts the number of suppression failures across all test blocks |
| meanConsecutiveCorrect | The mean number of consecutive Correct responses across all test blocks |
| medianConsecutiveCorrect | The median number of consecutive Correct responses across all test blocks |
| minConsecutiveCorrect | The minimum number of consecutive Correct responses across all test blocks |
| maxConsecutiveCorrect | The maximum number of consecutive Correct responses across all test blocks |
| meanConsecutiveErrors | The mean number of consecutive error responses across all test blocks |
| medianConsecutiveErrors | The median number of consecutive error responses across all test blocks |
| minConsecutiveErrors | The minimum number of consecutive error responses across all test blocks |
| maxConsecutiveErrors | The maximum number of consecutive error responses across all test blocks |
| meanSOA | Mean SOA (in ms) across all test blocks |
| sdSOA | Standard deviation (in ms) of all SOAs across all test blocks |
| minSOA | Minimum SOA (in ms) across all test blocks |
File Name: pasat_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 |
| countTestBlocks | Custom test block counter |
| soa | The currently used SOA (in ms); Stimulus Onset Asynchrony |
| currentLevel | The currently tested level |
| currentDigit | The currently presented digit |
| currentSum | The current correct sum |
| response | The participant's response (selected number) |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms); measured from onset of digit |
| nr | 1 = no response was made within response window 0 = otherwise (=no response) |
| error | 1 = addition error 0 = otherwise |
| suppressionFailure | 1 = response is consistent with using previous sum (not digit) to generate new sum 0 = otherwise |
| consecutiveCorrect | Counts the strings of consecutive correct responses Reset each time an error is made |
| consecutiveErrors | Counts the strings of consecutive error responses Reset each time a correct response is made |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| circleProportion | Proportion of canvas height used for the circle radius of response buttons | 0.4 |
| practiceTrials | Number of practice trials to run | |
| soaPractice | Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) in practice trials (= trialduration) | |
| testBlockDuration | The duration (in ms) of each test block | 300000ms = 5 minutes |
| numberTestBlocksToRun | The number of test blocks to run | 4 |
| continuousSOAsAcrossBlocks | True (1): only the first test blocks starts with maxSOA of 3000ms the SOAs carry over for the remaining test blocks (default) false (0): all test blocks start with maxSOA of 3000ms | |
| maxSOA | The maximum SOA (in ms) used in this script this is also the starting SOA | 3000ms |
| minSOA | The minimum SOA (in ms) used in this script | 1000ms |
| soaChange | The ms increase or decrease if SOA needs to be adapted | 100ms |
| soaAdaptionCriterium | The number of correct(error) trials after which SOA needs to be adapted | |
| debugmode | 1 = the correct answer is displayed on the screen 0 = the correct answer is not displayed on the screen (default) |