Millisecond Forums

Contradictory timeout information

https://forums.millisecond.com/Topic15361.aspx

By Kolfers - 1/15/2015

Hi,

I have a quick question, it seems like the help file gives a bit of contradictory information regarding the /timeout attribute.

From the Timeout attribute page: 
- For trials, the duration begins as soon as Inquisit begins waiting for a response (by default, this is at the end of the stimulus presentation sequence, but can be earlier if the either the beginresponsetimebeginresponsetime or beginresponseframebeginresponseframe attribute is set).


From the: How to Control Trial Duration and Inter-Trial Intervals  page: 
- Specifies the maximum duration of a trial, from the very beginning of the trial to the end, not including the posttrialpause.


In seems that in the first case, the suggestion is made that the timeout duration does not include pretrialpause, and only starts once the last stimulus has been drawn. While in the second case, it seems that the duration overlaps with pretrialpause (and all stimuli). Am I misreading something? Which of these two interpretations would be correct?

Thanks!

By Dave - 1/16/2015

For the /timeout attribute, the information in the "How to Control Trial Duration and Inter-Trial Intervals" topic applies. /timeout *does* include /pretrialpause.

Note that /timeout differs from *responsemode* timeout (cf. the graphic in the topic mentioned above) as defined via a /response attribute.

<trial mytrial>
/ pretrialpause = 500
/ stimulustimes = [0=a; 500=b]
/ timeout = 1000
...
</trial>

would essentially give you *no time to respond*, while


<trial mytrial>
/ pretrialpause = 500
/ stimulustimes = [0=a; 500=b]
/ response = timeout(1000)
...
</trial>

would give you 1000ms to do so.