Millisecond Forums

Hello

I thought I would flag this here as I do think it is an important issue, and one I am struggling to resolve now for several weeks. I am unsure whether this is an inherent bug or not.

I have 4 conditions. So, for each set (or 'array') of 4 participants, the condition order should be randomised:

<batch>
/ subjects = (1 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
/ file = "Stroop.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task A.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task B.iqx"
/ file = "N Back.iqx"
</batch>

<batch>
/ subjects = (2 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
/ file = "Stroop.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task B.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task A.iqx"
/ file = "N back.iqx"
</batch>

<batch>
/ subjects = (3 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
/ file = "N Back.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task A.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task B.iqx"
/ file = "Stroop.iqx"
</batch>

<batch>
/ subjects = (4 of 4)
/ groupassignment = groupnumber
/ file = "N Back.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task B.iqx"
/ file = "Recognition Task A.iqx"
/ file = "Stroop.iqx"
</batch>

<defaults>
/ screencolor = white
/ txcolor = black
/ txbgcolor = white
/ fontstyle = ("Arial", 2.8%)
</defaults>

<data>
/ separatefiles = true
</data>

Moreover, I have set the Participant & Group ID webpage registration to random selection without replacement. Similarly, number of conditions is set to 4. Yet, after a series of test runs (documenting groupid), this is what each set of 4 looks like:

1, 3, 2, 4

2, 3, 1, 4

3, 1, 2, 4

1, 3, 2, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 3, 2, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

3, 2, 1, 4

2, 1, 3, 4

3, 1, 2, 4

1, 3, 2, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 3, 2, 4

1, 2, 3, 4

3, 2, 1, 4

2, 1, 3, 4

As you can see, condition 4 is never allocated anywhere else other than the forth and final position. This is systematic. It would be nice to have a fully randomised ordering of all 4 conditions as (what should be) implied by the code - it only seems to randomize the first three conditions, and this is very bizarre. Is there something I am missing here? Or failing to see? I have tried using subjectID and random in the groupassignment in batch, but it seems not to make any difference - condition 4 always seems to fall last for every set of 4. (though 'random' groupassignment ironically produces a sequence of 1,2,3,4).

Just so you know, these tests were conducted ensuring that there is no extraneous refresh of the start-up screen, nor re-visiting the start up-screen, to rule this out as a potential factor.

Many Thanks & Yours Sincerely