Millisecond Forums

Yes, that's perfectly possible. You can dynamically fill e.g. <list> elements at the beginning of the procedure. Suppose you have 6 items A-F. You want to randomly assign 4 of them as "source", 2 as "target".

<block myblock>
/ onblockbegin = [list.sourceitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);
    list.sourceitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);
    list.targetitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.targetitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);]
/ trials = [1-4=showsources; 5-6=showtargets]
</block>

<trial showsources>
/ stimulusframes = [1=sourcetxt]
/ validresponse = (57)
</trial>

<trial showtargets>
/ stimulusframes = [1=targettxt]
/ validresponse = (57)
</trial>

<text sourcetxt>
/items = myitems
/ select = list.sourceitems.nextvalue
/ txcolor = blue
</text>

<text targettxt>
/items = myitems
/ select = list.targetitems.nextvalue
/ txcolor = red
</text>

<item myitems>
/ 1 = "A"
/ 2 = "B"
/ 3 = "C"
/ 4 = "D"
/ 5 = "E"
/ 6 = "F"
</item>

<list allitems>
/ poolsize = 6
/ selectionrate = always
</list>

<list sourceitems>
</list>

<list targetitems>
</list>

Assigning the like / dislike dimension etc. works analogously.

Concerning the previous post, there are some questions left.
The relevant part of our script is attached.

1. Most of the time, sources and targets are presented correctly.
But in some trials the target-picture appears as source and target at the same time.
Can you detect the error?

2. In the current version, sources and targets are randomly combined.
In our experiment each source should be presented with each target once:
Source 1 + Target 1
Source 1 + Target 2
Source 2 + Target 1
Source 2 + Target 2
Source 3 + Target 1
Source 3 + Target 2
Source 4 + Target 1
Source 4 + Target 2
Is there any way to control this combination?

Thanks,
Christina

<block relation>
/ onblockbegin = [list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);
    list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);
    list.targetitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.targetitems.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);]
/ trials = [1-8 = noreplace(relationlike, relationdislike)]
</block>

<trial relationlike>
/ stimulusframes = [1=sourcelike; 2=target; 3=like]
/timeout = 5000
/pretrialpause= 1000
</trial>

<trial relationdislike>
/ stimulusframes = [1=sourcedislike; 2=target; 3=dislike]
/timeout = 5000
/pretrialpause= 1000
</trial>

<text like>
/items = ("mag")
/position= (50,50)
/fontstyle= ("ARIAL", 40, true, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ select = replace
</text>

<text dislike>
/items = ("mag nicht")
/position= (50,50)
/fontstyle= ("ARIAL", 40, true, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ select = replace
</text>

<picture sourcelike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemslike.nextvalue
/ position= (25,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</picture>

<picture sourcedislike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemsdislike.nextvalue
/ position= (25,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</picture>

<picture target>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.targetitems.nextvalue
/ position= (75,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</picture>

<item kollegen>
/1 = "2.jpg"
/2 = "3.jpg"
/3 = "4.jpg"
/4 = "5.bmp"
/5 = "6.jpg"
/6 = "7.jpg"
/7 = "8.jpg"
/8 = "9.bmp"
/9 = "10.jpg"
/10 = "11.bmp"
</item>

<list allitems>
/ poolsize = 10
/ selectionrate = always
</list>

<list sourceitemslike>
</list>

<list sourceitemsdislike>
</list>

<list targetitems>
</list>

Re #1: That cannot happen *if* you run <block relation> only once. It can happen if you run it repeatedly in your full script. You sample 6 random items from <list allitems> /onblockbegin. After that, 4 unsampled items are left in that list. If you run <block relations> (or another block sampling from the list) again -- again taking 6 samples -- the list has to reset after 4 items, returning all 10 items back into the pool, and you may end up with the same item(s) sampled again. The solution is to make use of a list reset() before you do that, i.e.

/ onblockbegin = [list.allitems.reset(); ]

Similarly, you'll want to call the clearitems() function on the source and target lists before you assign any new items to them.

/ onblockbegin = [list.sourceitemsdislike.clearitems(); ...]


Re. #2: Yes. You need to link your source and target lists and set up the desired combinations via /onblockbegin.
<block relation>
/ onblockbegin = [list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.currentindex);
    list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.currentindex);
  
    list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.currentindex);
    list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.sourceitemsdislike.appenditem(list.allitems.currentindex);

    list.targetitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex); list.targetitemslike.appenditem(list.allitems.nextindex);
    list.targetitemslike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(1)); list.targetitemslike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(2));

    list.targetitemsdislike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(1)); list.targetitemsdislike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(2));
    list.targetitemsdislike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(1)); list.targetitemsdislike.appenditem(list.targetitemslike.item(2));
]
/ trials = [1-8 = noreplace(relationlike, relationdislike)]
</block>

<trial relationlike>
/ stimulusframes = [1=sourcelike; 2=targetlike; 3=like]
/timeout = 5000
/pretrialpause= 1000
</trial>

<trial relationdislike>
/ stimulusframes = [1=sourcedislike; 2=targetdislike; 3=dislike]
/timeout = 5000
/pretrialpause= 1000
</trial>

<text like>
/items = ("mag")
/position= (50,50)
/fontstyle= ("ARIAL", 40, true, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ select = replace
</text>

<text dislike>
/items = ("mag nicht")
/position= (50,50)
/fontstyle= ("ARIAL", 40, true, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ select = replace
</text>

<text sourcelike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemslike.nextvalue
/ position= (25,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</text>

<text sourcedislike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemsdislike.nextvalue
/ position= (25,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</text>

<text targetlike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.targetitemslike.nextvalue
/ position= (75,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</text>

<text targetdislike>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.targetitemsdislike.nextvalue
/ position= (75,50)
/ size = (30%, 30%)
</text>

<item kollegen>
/1 = "2.jpg"
/2 = "3.jpg"
/3 = "4.jpg"
/4 = "5.bmp"
/5 = "6.jpg"
/6 = "7.jpg"
/7 = "8.jpg"
/8 = "9.bmp"
/9 = "10.jpg"
/10 = "11.bmp"
</item>

<list allitems>
/ poolsize = 10
/ selectionrate = always
</list>

<list sourceitemslike>
</list>

<list targetitemslike>
/ selectionmode = list.sourceitemslike.currentindex
</list>


<list sourceitemsdislike>
</list>

<list targetitemsdislike>
/ selectionmode = list.sourceitemsdislike.currentindex
</list>


EDITED TO FIX MISTAKE IN ABOVE SCRIPT.

Hello,

the corrected script seems to work on a mac computer, version 4.0.7. Thanks a lot!
But on my Windows computer, version 4.0.8. there are still some complications.
When you are just looking on the data, everything seems fine and correct.
But for several times in the presentation, one stimulus was presented as source and target at the same time,
without being recorded in the data. Instead, other items were recorded, which were not shown in the trial.

Could the problem be a Windows bug?
Do you have any idea to solve the problem?

Thank you,
Christina

I would say that a Windows / Inquisit bug is unlikely. It's more likely that a mistake is still lurking somewhere in your script.

Another -- albeit remote -- possibility is a botched graphics card driver on your Windows box. Update it to the latest version available from the vendor.

Dave,

we've run Christina's script several times with varying amounts of trials on my Macbook and couldn't replicate the error she's describing here. Pictures from the generated sources were exclusively shown where the were supposed to be and we never once had the same picture shown twice. Wouldn't that rule out a script error? Or are the situations where the same script is interpreted differently depending on the OS?

Thanks,
Rene

Rene,

No, scripts should of course *not* be interpreted differently depending on OS. But note that you're not using the same Inquisit version under Mac and Windows (4.0.7.0 on the Mac; 4.0.8.0 under Windows). Whether that plays a role here, I don't know.

FWIW, the example code I've provided throughout this thread has been tested under Windows / Inquisit 4.0.8.0 and definitely works as expected for me.

Also, errors can be probabilistic in nature, especially if random sampling is involved. I.e., the error may be there, lurking in the background, but you might not hit the specific conditions under which it reveals itself.

As mentioned previously, there is a possibility that a buggy graphics card driver causes the weird behavior. Try updating the driver on the Windows box.

If none of that helps, attach the entire code to this thread and provide whatever additional info you can illustrating the error (data files, screenshots, etc.).

Hello Dave,
thanks a lot! The update did help and it seems to work right now.

A different question:
For another trial I need to present each source once for a rating of their likability:

<likert likability>
/stimulusframes = [1=question; 2= noreplace(sourcelike2, sourcedislike2)]
/anchors = [1 = "sehr unsympathisch", 2="", 3="", 4="", 5="", 6="", 7="", 8="", 9= "sehr sympathisch"]
/numpoints = 9
/anchorwidth = 100
/position = (50,70)
</likert>

<picture sourcelike2>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemslike.nextvalue
/ position= (50,30)
/ size = (40%, 40%)
</picture>

<picture sourcedislike2>
/items = kollegen
/ select = list.sourceitemsdislike.nextvalue
/ position= (50,30)
/ size = (40%, 40%)
</picture>

<block likability>
/preinstructions = (likability)
/trials = [1 - 4=likability]
</block>

Right now, one photo is presented twice, because the list contains it two times.
How can I pick it once?

Thanks,
Christina

> Right now, one photo is presented twice, because the list contains it two times.
> How can I pick it once?

Set up <list>s that only contain the item once (you already know how to do that as that's what's been discussed throughout the thread), use those lists for sampling in your rating-block.