Millisecond Forums

Hi Dave,
Again, thanks so much for your help.

There still seems to be an issue with the selecting of stimulus. When I run the program, there are still target images before a target event has happened (instead of having just the /bgstim (picture.NonFace, picture.NonBP).

I also suspect that the program is not providing the two stimulus at the same time for each trial, but selecting separate stimulus intervals for them.

values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.NonFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetBP, values.stiminterval);

maybe that is because of the lines above?

An example of what is happening is that NonBP and TargetFace appear immediately after a response to a previous combination, then, after a stimulusinterval, they allow for a response. What should happen is that after a response to a combination NonBP and NonFace should appear, and after a stimulus interval, one of the three target combinations should appear.


Would it make more sense to create some number of non-target trials that require no response and mix them into the order below?  Or is it possible to use /bgstim to have the non-target stimuli remain on the screen whenever they are not covered by a target pair?

<list stimulusorder>
/ items = [trial.TargFace; trial.TargBoth; trial.TargBP]
/ replace = true
/ selectionrate = trial
</list>


Thanks,

Eric

You say the combination you want for <trial TargBP> is "TargBP = NonFace, Target.BP"

<trial TargBP>
/ stimulusframes = [2 = TargetBP, NonFace]
/ontrialbegin = [
values.rt = 0;

   
values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.NonBP, values.stiminterval);

Then the above is wrong, and ought to read

<trial TargBP>
/ stimulusframes = [2 = TargetBP, NonFace]
/ontrialbegin = [
values.rt = 0;

   
values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.NonFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetBP, values.stiminterval);

#2: to /branch to a <trial> element selected from a <list>, the proper syntax is

/ branch = [if (parameters.presenttrialfeedback == true) trial.rt_feedback else list.stimulusorder.nextvalue]

Crucially, if you run the RT feedback trial -- which you do -- you need to adjust the /branch there as well. I.e.,

<trial RT_feedback>
/stimulusframes = [1 = RT_feedback]
/trialduration = parameters.rtfeedback_duration
/recorddata = false
/branch = [trial.TargBP]
</trial>

is wrong and ought to read

<trial RT_feedback>
/stimulusframes = [1 = RT_feedback]
/trialduration = parameters.rtfeedback_duration
/recorddata = false
/branch = [list.stimulusorder.nextvalue]
</trial>

Hi Dave, Thanks so much for your help!

So to give a more detailed explanation of what I want to do:
I am trying to adapt this perceptual vigilance task so that instead of a red circle appearing in the middle of the screen at "stimulusinterval" I would like the program to select randomly between 3 combinations (trial.TargFace, trial.TargBoth, Trial.BP) of 4 stimuli (picture.NonFace, picture.TargetFace, picture.NonBP, picture.TargetBP) and present them for the participant to respond to at stimulusinterval. The combinations I would like are: TargFace = NonBP, TargetFace; TargBP = NonFace, Target.BP; TargBoth = TargetFace, TargetBP.  When there is not a target event, I would like NonFace, NonBP to be present which I believe I have achieved by using (/ bgstim) in the block area.

After following your advice, the test is working except that it is only selecting TargBoth as a trial instead of switching between the three combinations.  I tried to remedy this by making <list stimulusorder> but I think I have made a mistake here. I also think that there is something wrong with the way that I did the / branch code at the end of each of my trials.  Maybe it has to do with how the block code is written?

Do you have any recommendations for how I may accomplish my goal?

Note: I pasted below the parts I'm talking about below with question areas in bold. I also attached the full script if that is easier to navigate

Thanks, 

Eric

*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************
Intervals
*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************

<list stimulusinterval>
/ items = (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, 10000)
/ replace = true
/ selectionrate = trial
</list>

<list stimulusorder>
/ items = (trial.TargBoth, trial.TargBP, trial.TargFace)
/ replace = true
/ selectionrate = trial
</list>


*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************
STIMULI
*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************

<picture NonBP>
/ items = ("C:\Users\Richard\Desktop\Inquisit Scripts\Picture_nontarget_BP.jpg")
/ position = (20,50)
/ size = (50%, 50%)
</picture>

<picture NonFace>
/ items = ("C:\Users\Richard\Desktop\Inquisit Scripts\Picture_nontarget_face.jpg")
/ position = (80,50)
/ size = (50%, 50%)
</picture>

<picture TargetBP>
/ items = ("C:\Users\Richard\Desktop\Inquisit Scripts\Picture_target_BP.jpg")
/ position = (20,50)
/ size = (50%, 50%)
</picture>

<picture TargetFace>
/ items = ("C:\Users\Richard\Desktop\Inquisit Scripts\Picture_target_face.jpg")
/ position = (80,50)
/ size = (50%, 50%)
</picture>

Note: This presents the first dummy stimulus to start the responses
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

<trial start>
/stimulusframes = [1 = TargetBP, NonFace]
/validresponse = (lbuttondown, rbuttondown)
</trial>

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Note: This is the FACE Target Trial
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

<trial TargFace>
/ stimulusframes = [1 = NonBP, TargetFace]
/ontrialbegin = [
values.rt = 0;


values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.NonBP, values.stiminterval);

]
/ontrialend = [trial.TargFace.resetstimulusframes()]
/responseinterrupt = immediate
/beginresponsetime = 0
/validresponse = (lbuttondown, rbuttondown)
/ isvalidresponse = [
trial.TargFace.latency > values.stiminterval
]
/ontrialend = [
if (trial.TargFace.response == "lbuttondown" || trial.TargFace.response == "rbuttondown") {
values.rt = trial.TargFace.latency - values.stiminterval;
list.latencies.insertitem(values.rt, 1);
}
]
/ branch = [if (parameters.presenttrialfeedback == true) trial.rt_feedback else trial.TargFace]
</trial>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Changed else to "list.stimulusorder" from trial name. probably wrong


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is when BOTH targets appear
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

<trial TargBoth>
/ stimulusframes = [2 = TargetBP, TargetFace]
/ontrialbegin = [
values.rt = 0;


values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargBoth.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetBP, values.stiminterval);

]
/ontrialend = [trial.TargBoth.resetstimulusframes()]
/responseinterrupt = immediate
/beginresponsetime = 0
/validresponse = (lbuttondown, rbuttondown)
/ isvalidresponse = [
trial.TargBoth.latency > values.stiminterval
]
/ontrialend = [
if (trial.TargBoth.response == "lbuttondown" || trial.TargBoth.response == "rbuttondown") {
values.rt = trial.TargBoth.latency - values.stiminterval;
list.latencies.insertitem(values.rt, 1);
}
]
/ branch = [if (parameters.presenttrialfeedback == true) trial.rt_feedback else list.stimulusorder]
</trial>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Changed else to "list.stimulusorder" from trial name. probably wrong

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is when BP Target Appears
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

<trial TargBP>
/ stimulusframes = [2 = TargetBP, NonFace]
/ontrialbegin = [
values.rt = 0;


values.stiminterval = list.stimulusinterval.nextvalue;
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargBP.insertstimulustime(picture.NonBP, values.stiminterval);

]
/ontrialend = [trial.TargBP.resetstimulusframes()]
/responseinterrupt = immediate
/beginresponsetime = 0
/validresponse = (lbuttondown, rbuttondown)
/ isvalidresponse = [
trial.TargBP.latency > values.stiminterval
]
/ontrialend = [
if (trial.TargBP.response == "lbuttondown" || trial.TargBP.response == "rbuttondown") {
values.rt = trial.TargBP.latency - values.stiminterval;
list.latencies.insertitem(values.rt, 1);
}
]
/ branch = [if (parameters.presenttrialfeedback == true) trial.rt_feedback else list.stimulusorder]
</trial>

Note: presents latency feedback for parameters.rtfeedback_duration (editable value)
<trial RT_feedback>
/stimulusframes = [1 = RT_feedback]
/trialduration = parameters.rtfeedback_duration
/recorddata = false
/branch = [trial.TargBP]
</trial>

*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************
BLOCKS
*******************************************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************************************

Note: this is the main block provided. It runs a specified amount of time with either a fixed or a
random position for the target.

Note: bgstim makes the background show non-target stimuli
<block Target>
/ bgstim = (NonBP, NonFace)
/ trials = [1 = start; 2 = list.stimulusorder]
/ onblockbegin = [block.Target.screencolor = parameters.screencolor]
/timeout = parameters.testduration
</block>

Sorry, I can't figure out what you want to do -- neither based on your description, nor based on the (non-working) code.

What I can tell you is that this

trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, picture.NonBP, values.stiminterval);

is wrong. You cannot insert multiple stimuli with a *single* call to the insertstimulustime() function. If you wanted to insert both picture.targetface and picture.nonbp at the same time in the trial, this ought to read

trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.TargetFace, values.stiminterval);
trial.TargFace.insertstimulustime(picture.NonBP, values.stiminterval);

Please provide a clearer description of what you want to achieve and importantly please reference the objects you are referring to exactly as they are *named* in the code.

Thanks.