Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 02, 2013
Last Modified: January 11, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the Parametric Go/NoGo task, a task to manipulate attentional load, set-shifting, and inhibitory control as a measure of executive functioning.
The implemented procedure is based on:
1. Langenecker SA, Zubieta J-K, Young EA, Akil H, Nielson KA. (2007). A task to manipulate attentional load, set-shifting, and inhibitory control: Convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the Parametric Go/No-go test. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 29 (8), 842–853.
2. and the original e-prime version "Parametric Go/No-go/Stop test (version 9.13)" by Dr. Langenecker (https://sitemaker.umich.edu/slangen/downloads)
The original e-prime script contains several conditions that are not described in Langenecker et al (2007) (e.g. Stop Signal conditions). This script implements all conditions run by the original e-prime script. Comments will point out which conditions correspond to the conditions (referred to as "levels") run by Langenecker et al, 2007).
The default procedure of this script runs the 3 levels described by Langenecker et al (2007). Additional conditions can be run - go to section EXPERIMENT for more information.
15 minutes
Participants are presented with a constant stream of letters. A subset of the letters require a response, e.g. pressing the Spacebar (= Go trials), otherwise no response is required (=NoGo trials). Participants work through different tasks that differ in difficulty to identify a "true" Go trial (context can turn a Go stimulus into a NoGo stimulus).
Level 1 (3 targets, static rule ): press spacebar for 's','r', and 't'; otherwise wait
Level 2 (2 targets, repeat rule): press spacebar for 's' and 'r' IF they don't repeat the last target letter; otherwise wait
Level 3 (3 targets, repeat rule): press spacebar for 's', 'r' and 't'. IF they don't repeat the last target letter; otherwise wait.
The levels are run in ascending difficulty.
• 6 conditions
(A) 3 conditions with 2 targets: r, s
(a) 2TA: static targets: targets are always targets (= Go trials) - NOT RUN BY DEFAULT
(b) 2TB: context-based targets: targets become lures (= NoGo trials) IF they repeat => block.c2TContext,
LEVEL 2 (Langenecker et al, 2007)
(c) 2TC: stopsignal targets: targets become lures (=NoGo trials) IF followed by stop sign - NOT RUN BY DEFAULT
(B) 3 conditions with 3 targets: r, s, t
(a) 3TA: static targets: targets are always targets (= Go trials) => block.c3T_static,
LEVEL 1 (Langenecker et al, 2007)
(b) 3TB: context-based targets: targets become lures (= NoGo trials) IF they repeat => block.c3TContext,
LEVEL 3 (Langenecker et al, 2007)
(c) 3TC: stopsignal targets: targets become lures (=NoGo trials) IF followed by stop sign - NOT RUN BY DEFAULT
• Go trials: "valid" target trials
• NoGo trials: all distractor trials (all letters other than r, s, t) AND lure trials (targets turned lures)
• all letters are presented in prefixed orders (same as in original e-prime script)
Trial Presentation:
- stimulus is presented for 500ms (default) with a 0ms interstimulus interval (default)
- participants have the entire 500ms to respond
- by default, stimuli are presented in black on a white background (Langenecker et al, 2007a)
- the size of the stimuli can be adjusted via an editable parameter (parameters.fontsize_target)
- the default presentation font in this script is Arial
Practice:
Each task is preceded by a practice session that is modeled after the practice session used in the original
e-prime script by Langenecker (letter sequences are different)
ADD/Delete Conditions:
To add or delete conditions (or change the order in which they are run),
go to section EXPERIMENT for further instructions
The instructions for the Inquisit PGNG.iqjs script by Millisecond are based on instruction
slides provided by Dr. Langenecker with the original e-prime script.
The instructions are provided as html/htm pages and can be edited by changing
the provided html/htm files.
To edit htm/html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
File Name: pgng_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 |
| pctCorrectOverall | Overall percent correct responses (across target and nontarget trials) |
| rttOverall | Overall mean target response time (=correctly hitting spacebar for a target) in ms => measure of processing speed |
| pcttOverall | Overall percent target identification (correctly hitting spacebar for a target) => percent correct responses for target trials => measure of sustained attention and set maintenance |
| pctCommissionErrorOverall | Overall percent commission errors (=incorrectly hitting spacebar for a non target) => percent error responses for distractors and lures *By Condition:* |
2Ta - 2 Targets, Static (Targets Are Always Targets) |
|
| pctCorrect2TA | Percent correct for 2 targets, static condition (across target and nontarget trials) |
| rtT2TA | Mean target response time (=correctly hitting spacebar for a target) in ms for 2 targets, static condition => measure of simple processing speed |
| pctt2TA | Percent target identification (correctly hitting spacebar for a target) for 2 targets, static condition => measure of sustained attention and set maintenance |
| pctCommissionError2TA | Percent commission errors (=incorrectly hitting spacebar for a non target) for 2 targets, static condition => proportion error responses for distractors and lures |
2Tb - 2 Targets, Targets Are Context Dependent |
|
| pctCorrect2TB | Percent correct for 2 targets, context condition (across target and nontarget trials) |
| rtT2TB | Mean target response time (=correctly hitting spacebar for a target) in ms for 2 targets, context condition => measure of simple processing speed |
| pcTT2TB | Percent target identification (correctly hitting spacebar for a target) for 2 targets, context condition => measure of sustained attention and set maintenance |
| pctCommissionError2TB | Percent commission errors (=incorrectly hitting spacebar for a non target) for 2 targets, context condition |
| pcIT2TB | Percent successfully suppressed responses to lures for 2 targets, context condition => no responses to target letters that are not targets according to the repeating rule => measure of response inhibition |
2Tc - 2 Target, Stop Signal Condition |
|
| pctCorrect2TC | Percent correct for 2 targets, stopSignal condition (across target and nontarget trials) |
| rtT2TC | Mean target response time (=correctly hitting spacebar for a target) in ms for 2 targets, stopSignal condition => measure of simple processing speed |
| pcTT2TC | Percent target identification (correctly hitting spacebar for a target) for 2 targets, stopSignal condition => measure of sustained attention and set maintenance |
| pctCommissionError2TC | Percent commission errors (=incorrectly hitting spacebar for a non target) for 2 targets, stopSignal condition |
| pcIT2TC | Percent successfully suppressed responses to lures for 2 targets, stopSignal condition => no responses to target letters that are not targets according to the stop signal rule => measure of response inhibition (same for the 3 Target Conditions) |
File Name: pgng_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 |
| trialType | 1 = distractor (non-target trial) 2 = target trial 3 = lure trial (presents a target but should not elicit a response) |
| stimulusDuration | Current stimulus duration |
| stopSignalDuration | Duration of current stop signal in ms |
| previousTarget | Stores the previous target stimulus |
| stimulusItem | The presented stimulus |
| response | The participant's response (scancode of response key) 57 = spacebar 0 = no response |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = otherwise) |
| latency | The response latency (measured at onset of stimulus) in ms |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| responseKey | The response key original response key was 'n' | " " -> spacebar |
| fontSizeTarget | Fontsize of the targets in screen height percentages | 10% |
| fixationCrossHeight | Size of the fixation cross that starts the letter sequence | |
| stimulusDurationTest | Presentation duration of the targets during the test session the stimulus presentation time for targets will vary in the Stop Signal conditions (-> list.stimulusdurations2TC; list.stimulusdurations3TC) | 500ms |
| isi | Duration of the interstimulusinterval Langenecker et al (2007) do not use an interstimulusinterval | 0ms |
| fixationCrossDuration | Duration of fixation cross at start of letter sequence | |
| testInstructionDuration | Duration of test instructions | |
| showSummary | True = a performance summary is presented to participants at the end of the script (default) false = the performance summary is not presented |