Reflexive Imagery Task - RIT

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 12, 2017

Last Modified: January 06, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a computerized Reflexive Imagery Task; a task to study the reflexive nature of thought using a set of images.

The implemented procedure is based on:

Allen, A.K., Wilkins, K., Gazzaley, A. & Morsella, E. (2013). Conscious thoughts from reflex-like processes: A new experimental paradigm for consciousness research. Consciousness and Cognition, 22, 1318–1331.

Note: this script implements only the condition in which participants are asked to suppress thinking of the name of the presented objects.

Duration

7 minutes

Description

Participants are presented images of objects for 4s (default) and are instructed to NOT think of the name of the object. However, if they do think of the name, they are instructed to press the Spacebar immediately. Optional: spacebar presses are followed by two likert questions about 'automaticity' of the thoughts and the 'urge to utter' the name of the object aloud.

By default, participants work on 20 practice problems and 20 test problems. The length of practice/test is controlled by the number of provided practice/test problems and can be adjusted by adding or deleting images from item.practiceTargets and item.testTargets under section Editable Stimuli.

Procedure

1. Practice/Demo Block: runs as many trials as there are practice items (see section Editable Stimuli item.practiceTargets)- default: 20
• First practice trial presents instruction reminders on screen
• the 20 default stimuli are based on List A used by Allen et al (2013) with three substitutions
• the order of the stimuli is determined randomly

2. Test: runs as many trials as there are test items (see section Editable Stimuli item.testTargets)- default: 20
• a reminder to press to start trial is presented after 5s
• the 20 default stimuli are based on List B used by Allen et al (2013) with three substitutions
• the order of the stimuli is determined randomly

Automaticity/Urge to Utter -Likert questions: optional (see section Editable Parameters), by default they are both turned off
- 'automaticity' question always precedes 'urge to utter' question (unless 'automaticity' question is skipped)
- are presented if the Spacebar is pressed during the presentation of the target images
- present a scale from 1-8 and wait for selection


Trial Sequence:
Start-screen with prompt (5000s, editable) -> Fixation cross for 700ms (editable) -> image for max 4000ms (waits for Spacebar response)
IF: spacebar response, 2 likert questions regarding ratings for 'automaticity' and 'urge to utter' are given
(optional)

Stimuli

The images provided with this script are digitalized versions (300px x 300px) of the pictures presented by:
Snodgrass, J. G., & Vanderwart, M. (1980). A standardized set of 260 pictures: Norms for name agreement,
image agreement, familiarity, and visual complexity. Journal of Experimental Psychology:
Human Learning & Memory, 6, 174-215.

The images were created in Paint.NET by Millisecond.

the images can be easily edited under section Editable Stimuli
the number of stimuli listed under item.practiceTargets and item.testTargets controls
the number of practice/test trials run

Instructions

provided by Millisecond - can be edited under section Editable Instructions

Summary Data

File Name: rit_summary*.iqdat

Data Fields

Raw Data

File Name: rit_raw*.iqdat

Data Fields

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.