Programming the Experiment

							Programming the Experiment

          Week 5
PEAK Overview
What is PEAK?
  PsychMate Experiment Authoring Kit (PEAK) is
  a tool to create, run and analyze computerized
  psychological experiments
How does it work?
  You fill in spreadsheets to specify:
     Independent variables
     Stimuli
     Number and ordering of events
  You analyze the data in Excel
Three levels of an experiment
   Trials – specific reaction time events of
    fixation and probe

   Blocks - instructions for set of trials and
    trial sampling

   Session - instructions for set of blocks and
    block sampling
PEAK Interface   Comments
Toolbar Menu

Buttons


    Session



    Block




    Trials
1. Create the Storyboard
Number Stroop Task                                           • Name = Fixation
                                                             • Type = Slide
Respond pressing the key for the number of                   • Duration = 500 ms
digits ignoring the digit values                     +       • Text = +
                                                             • Key Allowable =
                                                             • Key Correct =
(e.g. for stimulus “222” press “3”).                         • Other Properties =
                                                             • Name = Probe
There will be a fixation slide presented for 0.5             • Type = Slide
seconds, the probe slide presented till the                  • Duration = (infinite)

response, and a feedback display stating if        222       • Text = 222
                                                             • Key Allowable = 123
correct or incorrect for up to 2 seconds.                    • Key Correct = 3
                                                             • Other Properties =
                                                             • Name = Feedback
       +                                           Correct
                                                             • Type = Feedback
                                                             • Duration = 2000 ms
                                                             • Text =
                                                   RT=635    • Key Allowable = {ANY}
           222                                               • Key Correct =
                                                             • Other Properties =
                     Correct                                       InputObject = Probe

                     RT=635
  2. Trial Level Specification
  Setup a single trial first:
       Independent variables of the trial
          Variables
       Stimulus objects
          Fixation
          Probe
       Feedback
               • Name = Fixation             • Name = Probe                     • Name = Feeback
               •Duration = 1000 ms           •Duration = (infinite)             •Duration = 2000 ms
                                                                      Correct
  +            • Text = +
               • Key Allowable =
               • Key Correct =
                                      222    • Text = 222
                                             • Key Allowable = 123
                                             • Key Correct = 3        RT=635
                                                                                • Text =
                                                                                • Key Allowable = {ANY}
                                                                                • Key Correct =
               • Other Properties =          • Other Properties =               • Other Properties =
                                                                                      InputObject = Probe
Ind. Var.         Fixation 1 sec                      Probe 2 sec                            Feedback 1 sec
     Property Values
     Display properties to set values




                                                         Set Text
Set Image                                                properties to
properties to                                            display text.
display                                 Set Sound
pictures.                               properties to
                                        present audio.
3. Block Level Specification                               Trials Random Order

Independent variables of the block                         +        33      Correct
   Variables                                                                RT 1285

Block Instructions
   Duration                                                +        22      Correct
                                                                            RT 744
   Text.Text (F2)
Trial Sampling                                             +        111
   Order                                                                    Wrong
                         You will be pressing…                              RT 975
   Samples
                                                           +            2   Correct
                                                                            RT 689




             Ind. Var.       Block Instruction Slide   Trial Sampling
       4. Session Level Specification
       Independent variables of the session
            Variables
       Session Hello Slide
            Duration
            Text.Text (F2)
       Block Sampling
            Order
            Samples
       Session Goodbye Slide
            Duration                                            +
                                                                    33    Correc

            Text.Text (F2)                                      +
                                                                    22
                                                                          t
                                                                          RT
                                                                          1285
                                                                          Correc



                         Hello &                                +
                                                                    111
                                                                          t
                                                                          RT
                                                                          744
                                                                                   Thank you
                                                                          Wron


                         Welcome
                                        In this experiment …
                                                                +
                                                                     2
                                                                          g
                                                                          RT
                                                                          975
                                                                          Correc
                                                                                   & Goodbye
                                                                          t
                                                                          RT
                                                                          689


Ind. Var.               Welcome Slide                  Block Sampling              Goodbye Slide