Couple of Rating Scale Questions

[Ryan Hubbard]

Hi there,

I have a few questions regarding the rating scale component.  I have an experiment that contains a test portion with a confidence scale - basically, a word pops up and sits on the screen for a second (a text component), followed by a 4-point rating scale (the rating component comes 1 second after the text component).  I have the marker start in the middle of the scale (in between choices 2 and 3), I do not have single click on (participants hit enter to select an option).  These test trials are embedded within a loop, so participants are tested on multiple words.  I have noticed a couple of things that I find troubling, and unfortunately can't figure out how to fix:

1) I find that I can just hit "enter" right off the bat, without selecting any options, and the next trial will be loaded.  When I look at the data log, the second trial has been selected - presumably due to some integer rounding (e.g. marker is set at position=1.5, so option 1 is chosen).  I don't want subjects to be able to do this, and want them to have to make a selection before being able to accept.  How could I program this in?

2) I find that if I hit one of the selection keys (1-4) prior to the rating scale appearing (while the word is on the screen), then the marker will not start in the middle of the scale, but will start on the number that I pressed.  So if I hit 0 before the scale appears, the marker will start on option 0.  This is going to be an EEG experiment, so I don't want people pressing keys during that period of time before the scale appears.  I could imagine a situation where, to move more quickly, a participant hits the key before the scale appears and then hits enter right away.  I suppose I could tell participants to just not do that, but is there a way to program it so that keys aren't accepted until the scale appears?

Sorry if these issues have already been brought up.  If I can provide any more information I would be happy to do so.  I appreciate any help, and am very thankful for Psychopy and its awesome creators!

Best,

Ryan Hubbard

[Jeremy Gray]

Hi Ryan,

1) I find that I can just hit "enter" right off the bat, without selecting any options, and the next trial will be loaded.  When I look at the data log, the second trial has been selected - presumably due to some integer rounding (e.g. marker is set at position=1.5, so option 1 is chosen).  I don't want subjects to be able to do this, and want them to have to make a selection before being able to accept.  How could I program this in?

This behavior is because the marker is started on the screen. If you do not specify a markerStart value, the subjects would have to make a selection and press enter. If people are doing multiple trials, they will very quickly pick up on the fact that the marker will appear when they press a number.

 

2) I find that if I hit one of the selection keys (1-4) prior to the rating scale appearing (while the word is on the screen), then the marker will not start in the middle of the scale, but will start on the number that I pressed.  So if I hit 0 before the scale appears, the marker will start on option 0.  This is going to be an EEG experiment, so I don't want people pressing keys during that period of time before the scale appears.  I could imagine a situation where, to move more quickly, a participant hits the key before the scale appears and then hits enter right away.  I suppose I could tell participants to just not do that, but is there a way to program it so that keys aren't accepted until the scale appears?

There might be a simpler way to do this, but it would probably work to put the word and the rating scale in different routines (both within the same loop). In the routine with the rating, have a code component that does this at the start of the routine:

event.clearEvents()

--Jeremy

[Ryan Hubbard]

Hi Jeremy,

Thanks very much for the quick response.  Both of these suggestions worked perfectly!  I appreciate the help.

I had a bit of trouble at first, but it looks like not specifying a markerStart value is only available if noMouse is set False.  Subjects don't use the mouse in this experiment, which is why I had it set to True.  Not a big deal though, I can hide the mouse cursor in the corner of the screen.

Thanks again!

-Ryan