OnsetTime Options in Task Events

[jens]

Hi

I'm using EP 2.0.10.182 *Professional* with the Task Event feature and
am wondering about the delay option.
I am triggering a text object using the WriteByte action from a custom
source drawn from an attribute in a list. Do you guys think it is a
valid option to use the delay function and hold the trigger for the
mean value of the onset delay received from a previous test run?

When I run the experiment I get a mean OnsetDelay value of ~5ms for
that text object. I assume that the trigger is not adjusted and sent
on the actual onset time of the text object, but delivered on the
target onset time. Right?

So, what's your take on this?

Best
Jens

[David McFarlane]

Jens,

Stock reminder: 1) I do not work for PST. 2) PST's trained staff
take any and all questions at
http://support.pstnet.com/e%2Dprime/support/login.asp , and they
strive to respond to all requests in 24-48 hours -- this is pretty
much their substitute for proper documentation, so make full use of
it. 3) In addition, PST takes questions at their Facebook page
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychology-Software-Tools-Inc/241802160683
), and offers several instructional videos there and on their YouTube
channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/PSTNET ) (no Twitter feed yet,
though). 4) If you do get an answer from PST staff, please extend
the courtesy of posting their reply back here for the sake of others.

That said, here is my take...

I take it your question is merely about the difference between
"TargetOnsetTime" and "OnsetTime", without regard to the new Task
Event feature (which I have not yet explored in detail). In that
case, you may start with my essay at
http://groups.google.com/group/e-prime/browse_thread/thread/39e899d3457d4917
. From that you should conclude that TargetOnsetTime is merely an
internal bookkeeping value that indicates only when stimulus
presentation is scheduled to start, regardless of when presentation
does start. OnsetTime indicates when presentation does start, so
offhand I would think that you want triggers to happen relative to
OnsetTime. An OnsetDelay of 5 ms means that a stimulus presentation
started 5 ms after its scheduled time (i.e., its
TargetOnsetTime). If you add a delay of 5 ms from OnsetTime, then
your triggers should occur at, well, 5 ms after the actual start of
stimulus presentations.

-----
David McFarlane
E-Prime training
online: http://psychology.msu.edu/Workshops_Courses/eprime.aspx
Twitter: @EPrimeMaster (twitter.com/EPrimeMaster)

[jens]

I guess I had my time audits mixed up. So what do think of delaying
the signal in relation to the action delay? I am getting values in the
5 ms area in action delay when I use a random duration on the
preceding object.

/Jens

On Apr 25, 6:18 pm, David McFarlane <mcfar...@msu.edu> wrote:
> Jens,
>
> Stock reminder:  1) I do not work for PST.  2) PST's trained staff

> take any and all questions athttp://support.pstnet.com/e%2Dprime/support/login.asp, and they

> strive to respond to all requests in 24-48 hours -- this is pretty
> much their substitute for proper documentation, so make full use of
> it.  3) In addition, PST takes questions at their Facebook page
> (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychology-Software-Tools-Inc/241802160683
> ), and offers several instructional videos there and on their YouTube

> channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/PSTNET) (no Twitter feed yet,

> though).  4) If you do get an answer from PST staff, please extend
> the courtesy of posting their reply back here for the sake of others.
>
> That said, here is my take...
>
> I take it your question is merely about the difference between
> "TargetOnsetTime" and "OnsetTime", without regard to the new Task
> Event feature (which I have not yet explored in detail).  In that

> case, you may start with my essay athttp://groups.google.com/group/e-prime/browse_thread/thread/39e899d34...

[David McFarlane]

Jens,

Ah, I should have reminded you in my first reply that, before you
proceed any further in this project, you must, MUST, *MUST*
thoroughly study Chapter 3, "Critical Timing", of the User's Manual
that came with E-Prime. I cannot stress that enough!!! So go do that first.

-- David McFarlane

At 4/26/2012 11:54 AM Thursday, you wrote:
>I guess I had my time audits mixed up. So what do think of delaying
>the signal in relation to the action delay? I am getting values in the
>5 ms area in action delay when I use a random duration on the
>preceding object.
>
>/Jens
>
>
>On Apr 25, 6:18 pm, David McFarlane <mcfar...@msu.edu> wrote:
> > Jens,
> >
> > Stock reminder: 1) I do not work for PST. 2) PST's trained staff
> > take any and all questions
> athttp://support.pstnet.com/e%2Dprime/support/login.asp, and they
> > strive to respond to all requests in 24-48 hours -- this is pretty
> > much their substitute for proper documentation, so make full use of
> > it. 3) In addition, PST takes questions at their Facebook page
> > (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychology-Software-Tools-Inc/241802160683
> > ), and offers several instructional videos there and on their YouTube
> > channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/PSTNET) (no Twitter feed yet,
> > though). 4) If you do get an answer from PST staff, please extend
> > the courtesy of posting their reply back here for the sake of others.
> >
> > That said, here is my take...
> >
> > I take it your question is merely about the difference between
> > "TargetOnsetTime" and "OnsetTime", without regard to the new Task
> > Event feature (which I have not yet explored in detail). In that
> > case, you may start with my essay at

> http://groups.google.com/group/e-prime/browse_thread/thread/39e899d3457d4917

[jens]

...also, there is actually an option to send a signal on action time
for an object using the task event. Which makes the method I asked
about kind of unnecessary.

> >http://groups.google.com/group/e-prime/browse_thread/thread/39e899d34...