Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 07, 2015
Last Modified: January 09, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a Time Wall Task; an assessment of time estimation. The implemented procedure is based on Englund et al (1987).
UNIFIED TRI-SERVICE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT BATTERY (UTC-PAB) I. DESIGN AND SPECIFICATION OF THE BATTERY. ENGLUND, C.E., REEVES. D.L., SHINGLEDECKER, C.A., THORNE, D.R., WILSON, K.P., & HEGGE. F.W. (1987). REPORT NO. 87-10, NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, P 0 BOX 85122, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92138 NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND, BETHESDA, MARYLAND (p.46)
1.5 minutes
Participants watch a disk falling from the top of the screen. On its way to the bottom (default: 10s) it passes behind a wall with a disk-sized hole in it. Once the disk is completely behind the wall (default: 6s), participants are asked to estimate via pressing the Spacebar how long it would take the disk to completely cover the hole (default: 8s, measured from start of trial).
By default this script runs 10 estimation tasks (editable parameter) or is over after 300s (editable parameter)
whichever comes first. At the default speed the disk is completely covered by the wall by 6s, covers the wall hole
by 8s and drops off the canvas at 10s.
Once the disk is completely covered by the wall, the script waits for a response from the participant
(early responses are counted but ignored otherwise).
If participant presses the Spacebar within 30s (editable parameter) after the disk is completely covered by the wall,
the response is counted as valid and the wall hole is filled with the color of the falling disk
(visual feedback of a valid response).
A new estimation task (if applicable) is started after 500ms (editable parameter).
If participant does not press the Spacebar within 30s, a beep is played (auditory feedback of invalid response)
and a new task starts after 1s (editable parameter).
SCREEN SET-UP
The stimuli in this task are all proportionally sized to the active screen canvas
(this script uses a width:height = 4:3 canvas by default)
adapted from Englund et al (1987) - can be edited
in script timewallestimation_instructions_inc.iqjs
File Name: timewallestimation_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| 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 |
| countResponses | Counts all valid responses |
| nrTimeouts | Counts number of time-outs (= number of invalid responses) |
| timeHole | The time (in ms) it should take trial.diskfalling theoretically to move the disk the distance from first time behind the wall to cover the wall hole completely. |
| meanEstimationTime | Mean estimation time of judging how long it takes the disk to fill the wall hole (measured from time that disk is completely covered by wall) |
| constantError | Estimation error as measured by difference (mean_estimationtime - time_hole) |
| propError | Proportional error of estimated time to actual time |
| variableError | Standard deviation time of judging how long it takes the disk to fill the wall hole (measured from time that disk is completely covered by wall) |
| inaccuracyScore | The percentage difference between the mean estimation Time and the actual timeHole Time |
| cvEstimationTime | Coefficient of variation (Englund et al: 100* std/mean), measure of response Consistency across trials |
| sumEarlyResponses | Sums up the number of early responses across experiment |
| circleradius | Sets the radius of the disk in canvas height % (default: 5%) |
| totalfallduration | Sets the time (in ms) needed for the disk to fall from the top (not seen yet) to the bottom (not seen anymore) (default: 10000ms) |
| nrStepsDestinationWall | Sets the canvas % steps the disk needs to be fully covered by wall (default: 66) |
| nrStepsDestinationHole | Sets the canvas % steps the disk needs to fully cover the wall hole (default: 88) |
| speed | Calculates the speed in ms/% canvas of the falling disk based on totalfallduration and the start and end y-coordinates of the falling disk |
| timeHole | Calculates the time (in ms) it takes for disk to fully cover the hole |
| timeWall | Calculates the time (in ms) it takes for disk to be fully covered by wall |
| startY | Calculates the starting y coordinate of the falling disk based on circleradius (start: disk is not yet seen) |
| endY | Calculates the ending y coordinate of the falling disk based on circleradius (end: disk is not seen anymore) |
| walltopY | Calculates the y-coordinate of the top of the wall based on (parameter) circleradius and (parameter) nrStepsDestinationWall |
| wallY | Calculates the y-coordinate of the wall when it first covers the disk completey based on (parameter) circleradius and (parameter) nrStepsDestinationWall |
| holeY | Calculates the y-coordinate of the hole based on (parameter) circleradius and (parameter) nrStepsDestinationHole |
File Name: timewallestimation_raw.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file. |
| totalfallduration | The time (in ms) it takes for the disk to fall from the top (starting off canvas) to the bottom (ending off canvas) |
| response | The participant's response (57 = pressed Spacebar within valid response window) |
| validResponse | 1 = a valid response within the response window was given 0 = no valid response within the response window was given |
| timeHole | The time (in ms) it takes for disk to fully cover the hole (from start of falling) => "correct" response |
| estimatedTime | Stores the estimated time (in ms) disk would fully cover the wall hole (measured from trial start until participant responds) |
| earlyResponses | Sums up the early responses (=> pressing Spacebar before disk is fully behind wall) per trial early responses don't interrupt the trial |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Design |
||
| nrStepsDestinationwall | Sets the steps (1 step = 1% of the canvas height) the disk needs to take from the start point to the point where it's first fully covered by wall | 66 |
| nrStepsDestinationhole | Sets the steps (1 step = 1% of the canvas height) the disk needs to fall from the start point to the point where it fully covers the wall hole | 88 |
| nrEstimations | Number of estimation cycles | 10 |
Sizing Parameters |
||
| circleRadius | Sets the radius of the disk in canvas height % sets the steps (1 step = 1% of the canvas height) the disk needs to fall from the start point to the point where it fully covers the wall hole | 5% |
Timing Parameters |
||
| totalfallDuration | Sets the time (in ms) needed for the disk to fall from the top (not seen yet) to the bottom (not seen anymore) | 10000 |
| maxTime | The total time (in ms) the test should maximally take the script stops either after parameters.nr_estimations (10) or parameters.maxtime; whichever comes first | 300000 |
| maxTrialDuration | Maximum trial duration for trial.fallingdisk | 30000 |
| beepPause | Time-out pause after a beep trial (= participant took longer than parameters.max_trialduration to respond) before the next estimation sequence is started | 1000 |
| iti | The intertrial pause (in ms) after each valid time estimation cycle | 500 |
Response Keys |
||
| responseKey | The response key (" " -> spacebar) | " " |