Events are the smallest unit in SuperLab; the Event Editor is where you tell SuperLab if you want to deliver a stimulus or send an event marker, wait for input from the participant, determine what is the correct response if any, and define feedback “actions”.
This is done in the Stimulus tab of the Event Editor. Click on the Event Type to select the type of stimulus that you want to deliver, e.g. Movie, Picture File, RSVP, Self-Paced Reading, Sound File, or Text, or to setup the event marker using Digital Output, Eye Tracker Control (future), or Serial Output. An event can also be an ISI (inter-stimulus interval).
Click on one of the links above for detailed information about each event type.
Determining how the event ends is done in the Input
and Correct Response tabs. For
more information about the event ending options, move and hold the mouse
cursor over the option; example:
If any of your trials contain more than just one event,
pay particular attention to the Reset RT Timer
checkbox. If
none of your events have this checkbox turned on, the reaction time will
be measured relative to the onset of the first event in the trial. If
the first event happens to be a cue and the second event is the stimulus,
RTs will be measured relative to the onset of the cue -- probably not
the desired outcome. |
SuperLab provides three different ways to determine the correct response(s) to an event:
Based on a code value that’s attached to the event or the stimulus list item (recommended for most cases)
Based on a stimulus list item if the event uses a stimulus list
For the event itself if it does not use a stimulus list
If your trials do have a correct response, it is a good idea to define them in the Correct Response tab even if you chose to end an event After any response from the participant in the Input tab. The most obvious benefit is that the participant’s responses will be coded for you in the data file as correct, incorrect, or no response. But another advantage is the ability to provide feedback to the participant based on correctness or to “mark” trials or events with a particular code value.
The following screen snapshot shows a correct response defined based
on a code value:
Other features:
You can define multiple correct responses even if they are from different devices, e.g. keyboard and response pad.
For Go/No-Go experiments, a correct response can
be None, the participant must not respond,
as shown:
Event Type Digital Output
Event Type ISI
Event Type Movie
Event Type Picture File
Event Type RSVP
Event Type Self-Paced Reading
Event Type Serial Output
Event Type Sound File
Event Type Text