Millisecond Forums

First you should make sure that all those systems are running the same, up-to-date Inquisit version. Otherwise any comparisons tend to be invalid.

Second, it remains entirely unclear from your response whether the box shows up on your system once the other option is selected. Does it or does it not?

"I think you are missing the fact that the box will only become visible *once the other option is actually selected*, which it is *not* in any of those screenshots."

i wasn't missing that fact ...
were you able to figure out the issue?

No, I haven't figured out the issue -- the box shows up in every single test I've done.

I'm also not sure what the answers to my first question in my last response is, namely which Inquisit version you are using and whether you've made sure it's the same (and up to date) on all systems.

The only other thing I can suggest trying is including the "other" <textbox> element in the page's /questions attribute. That should force it to be visible from the get-go:

<survey demo>
/ screencolor = (grey)
/ pages = [1 = demographics1; ]
/ responsefontstyle = ("Verdana", 1.5%, false, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ itemfontstyle = ("Verdana", 2%, false, false, false, false, 5, 0)
/ itemspacing = 10%
/ showpagenumbers = false
/ finishlabel = "Next"
</survey>

<surveypage demographics1>
/ caption = "Please answer the following demographic questions"
/ questions = [1=idnumber; 2=age; 3=sex; 4=race; 5=raceother]
</surveypage>

<textbox idnumber>
/ caption = "Please enter your participant ID number, which is marked on the plastic bag you received with your t-shirt."
/ required = true
</textbox>

<dropdown age>
/ caption = "What is your age?"
/ options = ("18", "19", "20", "21", "22", "23", "24", "25", "26", "27","28", "29",
          "30", "31", "32", "33", "34", "35", "36", "37","38", "39",
          "40", "41", "42", "43", "44", "45", "46", "47","48", "49",
          "50", "51", "52", "53", "54", "55", "56", "57","58", "59",
          "60", "61", "62", "63", "64", "65", "66", "67","68", "69",
          "70", "71", "72", "73", "74", "75", "76", "77","78", "79",
          "80", "81", "82", "83", "84", "85", "86", "87","88", "89")
/ optionvalues = ("18", "19", "20", "21", "22", "23", "24", "25", "26", "27","28", "29",
          "30", "31", "32", "33", "34", "35", "36", "37","38", "39",
          "40", "41", "42", "43", "44", "45", "46", "47","48", "49",
          "50", "51", "52", "53", "54", "55", "56", "57","58", "59",
          "60", "61", "62", "63", "64", "65", "66", "67","68", "69",
          "70", "71", "72", "73", "74", "75", "76", "77","78", "79",
          "80", "81", "82", "83", "84", "85", "86", "87","88", "89")
/ required = false
</dropdown>

<radiobuttons sex>
/ caption = "What is your sex?"
/ options = ("Female", "Male")
/ optionvalues = ("0", "1")
/ orientation = horizontal
/ required = false
</radiobuttons>

<checkboxes race>
/ caption = "With what race/ethnicity do you identify? (Select ALL that apply)"
/ options = ("Caucasian", "Hispanic or Latino", "Asian", "Black or African American", "Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander", "American Indian/Alaska Native", "Indian")
/ other = raceother
/ required = false
</checkboxes>

<textbox raceother>
/ caption = "Other"
/ textboxsize = (25%,5%)
/ required = false
</textbox>