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You can use the <variables> element to implement the four conditions and substitute items as needed, here the <item> or <text> elements representing good A and B as well as young A and B respectively.

https://www.millisecond.com/support/docs/v4/html/language/elements/variables.htm

Thanks so much for your speedy response Dave - you are awesome!

I notice the following notice on the link you provided "This element is obsolete and is included for backwards compatibility only." So, if I am using Inquisit 5, may I still use this element or should I use https://www.millisecond.com/support/docs/v4/html/language/attributes/groupassignment.htm instead?

Thanks again! Sorry I just realized that I should have posted my question under Inquisit 5 rather than Inquisit 4.

The use of <variables> is not in general recommended anymore -- but it still works and it is useful in select cases such as this one.

An alternative would be to use conditional <include> elements instead:

https://www.millisecond.com/forums/FindPost15640.aspx

Hi Dave,

I haven't got lucky by using <variables> to set up the design I want. However, I wonder if I may just use the AgeIAT file to develop each of the four conditions into: AgeIAT_condition 1.iqx, AgeIAT_condition 2.iqx, AgeIAT_condition 3.iqx, and AgeIAT_condition 4.iqx. Then generate a fifth file:

<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 1.iqx"
/ subjects = (1 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 2.iqx"
/ subjects = (2 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 3.iqx"
/ subjects = (3 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 4.iqx"
/ subjects = (4 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>

By running the fifth file on Inquisit Web, can I still get participants randomly assigned to one of the four conditions? The other question is I just ran test monkey on this, and it asks me to enter the subject id and the group number - do I need to turn off the subject and group codes dialog box in order to ensure the random assignment? How can I achieve that?

Thanks heaps.

Yes, you can use <batch> elements as well. You should note, though, that each IAT *itself* contains two conditions (the block order is counterbalanced according to odd vs. even groupnumber). I.e., you need to make sure that each of your IATs is fed both odd and even groupnumbers. That is not the case with your current <batch> elements. You'll want to change them to something along the lines of

<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 1.iqx"
/ subjects = (1,2 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 2.iqx"
/ subjects = (3,4 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 3.iqx"
/ subjects = (5,6 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 4.iqx"
/ subjects = (7,8 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>

> By running the fifth file on Inquisit Web, can I still get participants randomly assigned to one of the four conditions?

Yes, of course.

> do I need to turn off the subject and group codes dialog box in order to ensure the random assignment?

No. You simply set your web experiment to generate random subject and group numbers (those are the default options anyway) when you upload the scripts and configure the web experiment's settings. There will be no box that prompts you / your participants  to enter anything.

Thanks so much for your advice Dave. You are brilliant:)

May I ask a follow-up question on adding survey questions before and after the study where participants are randomly assigned to complete one of the four conditions?

If I have developed 4 survey questionnaires: pre_survey_male.iqx, pre_survey_female.iqx, post_survey_male.iqx, post_survey_female.iqx (i.e., participants need to answer one survey prior to the study, and a second survey after the study, and the contents of the surveys vary depending on their genders), may I organize these .iqx files using <batch> again, so that males only get questions on pre_survey_male.iqx and post_survey_male.iqx, and females only get questions on pre_survey_female.iqx and post_survey_female.iqx? Otherwise, is there any way to achieve this on Inquisit Web?

You should set up two *.iqx files -- one for your pre-survey, one for your post-survey, with each containing the pages / questions for both male and female respondents.

At the very start of both the pre-survey and the post-survey, have the participant indicate their gender. Then use /skip attributes in the <surveypage> elements to only administer the pages / questions applicable to the gender indicated.

Run the pre- and post-survey scripts via your <batch> elements as usual.

Hi Dave,

Following on your advice on this post:
"
Yes, you can use <batch> elements as well. You should note, though, that each IAT *itself* contains two conditions (the block order is counterbalanced according to odd vs. even groupnumber). I.e., you need to make sure that each of your IATs is fed both odd and even groupnumbers. That is not the case with your current <batch> elements. You'll want to change them to something along the lines of
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 1.iqx"
/ subjects = (1,2 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 2.iqx"
/ subjects = (3,4 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 3.iqx"
/ subjects = (5,6 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
<batch>
/ file = "AgeIAT_condition 4.iqx"
/ subjects = (7,8 of 8)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
</batch>
> By running the fifth file on Inquisit Web, can I still get participants randomly assigned to one of the four conditions?
Yes, of course.
> do I need to turn off the subject and group codes dialog box in order to ensure the random assignment?
No. You simply set your web experiment to generate random subject and group numbers (those are the default options anyway) when you upload the scripts and configure the web experiment's settings. There will be no box that prompts you / your participants  to enter anything.
"

I am currently trying to integrate this Inquisit Web study into qualtrics for data collection. By reading http://www.millisecond.com/support/docs/v4/html/howto/interopsurveys.htm, I see such an instruction "To configure Inquisit to retrieve the subject id from the query parameter, simply run through the webscript registration wizard. When asked how to generate subject ids, select the "Query Parameter" option and specify the name of the parameter (in this case, the name is "respondentid"). That's it, Inquisit will now extract this subject number from the url and record it in the data file." 

Given your advice "You simply set your web experiment to generate random subject and group numbers (those are the default options anyway) when you upload the scripts and configure the web experiment's settings. There will be no box that prompts you / your participants  to enter anything", does that mean if I follow "When asked how to generate subject ids, select the "Query Parameter" option and specify the name of the parameter (in this case, the name is "respondentid")", it will ruin the intended study setup such as randomization.

Sorry for the long post - I look forward to your advice!

> [...] does that mean if I follow "When asked how to generate subject ids, select the "Query Parameter" option and specify the name of the
> parameter (in this case, the name is "respondentid")", it will ruin the intended study setup such as randomization.

No, it does not mean that.  The condition assignment in your scripts (the <batch>es as well as the IATs) is based on the *group id*. The group id has to be numerical for that to work, i.e., you should leave it at either random or sequential generation.

You can safely select the query parameter option for the *subject id*. The subject id doesn't play any role in the condition assignment and thus you can safely use the alphanumerical code supplied by Qualtrics. Nothing will be ruined.