A simple PsyScope tutorial

A simple PsyScope tutorial
Victoria Johansson
it-pedagog@sol.lu.se
November 21, 2005
Contents
1 Introduction 2
1.1 Some words about bugs in the Beta version (and the OS9 version) 2
2 Preparations 2
2.1 Find the program and open it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3 Create a Lexical decision experiment 4
3.1 Start a new experiment and save it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 Design a template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.1 Add a time object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2.2 Specify the duration in msec for an object . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2.3 Add a text object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2.4 Add a keyboard object (an input object) . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.5 Define the duration of the keyboard object . . . . . . . . 10
3.2.6 Define the logging of reaction time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.2.7 Define the test words in a text object . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4 Set the Subject information 16
4.1 Find the output data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1

A simple PsyScope tutorial 2
1 Introduction
PsyScope is a program that can be used to create experiments without knowing
any programming skills.
This is a short tutorial, written for MacOSX, 10.3.9, and PsyScopeXB40,
that will teach you how to set up a simple prime experiment. For a more
extensive tutorial, and more details on how to design different experiment, please
read the PsyScope manual, which can be found - along with the program - on
the program site
http://psyscope.psy.cmu.edu/ (the OS9 version)
If you want a PsyScope version that works on the OSX-system (i.e., the
version used for this tutorial), you will have to use a Beta version (November
2005). This can be downloaded from:
http://psy.ck.sissa.it.
The program works on Mac platform, and it is free to use.
1.1 Some words about bugs in the Beta version (and the
OS9 version)
The program is still a Beta version, which means that some bugs still can appear.
It is especially important to close all the windows, in the right order, when you
create the experiment. It might also be a problem to replace old target items
with new one, if you want to copy a new experiment, and, for instance, just
change the prime words. A solution would be to start making the experiment
from scratch.
2 Preparations
2.1 Find the program and open it
1. Start the computer, and log in with your username and password.
2. Go to the Dock on the bottom of the screen and click on the ”Finder”-
symbol (the symbol to the very left in the Dock, see figure 1).
Figure 1: Click on the Finder symbol in the Dock.
3. A window will open on the screen.
4. Look to the left ’column’ in the window, and find the the symbol for the
application folder (an ”A”, see figure 2, n:o 1).

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5. Then look at the right part of the window, and locate the folder named
”PsyScopeXB40”. Double click on it (see figure 2, n:o 2).
Figure 2: Locate PsyScope by clicking on the Program symbol, and then double
click on the PsyScope Folder.
6. In the window you will see two PsyScope symbols. Choose to double click
on the one ending on ”dep”.
7. The program will start, and you will notice this in two ways:
ˆ There are other menu options on the top of the screen (e.g., ”File”,
”Edit”, ”Utilities”, ”Design”, ”Windows”...)
ˆ The icon for PsyScope appears in the Dock on the bottom of the
screen.
8. Now, go to the PsyScope symbol on the dock, and click on it once (see
figure 3).
9. A meny shows, giving several options.
Choose the option ”Behåll i Dock”. This will keep the PsyScope symbol
in the dock also when you have quit the program, which will make it easier
to start the program next time.
If you want to move between any (open) program it is easiest just to click
the program symbols in the dock.

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Figure 3: Click on the PsyScope symbol in the dock, and choose the option
”Behåll i Dock (’Keep in Dock’).
3 Create a Lexical decision experiment
We will start with guiding you through how to set up a simple lexical decision
experiment. In this experiment words are visible on the screen, but the basic
design can be varied with sounds or pictures.
This is an experiment where the test persons should press a yes-button if
they are presented with a real word on the screen, and a no-button if it is not
a real word. The reaction times are measured and collected within a file, that
can be opened and analysed afterwards.
3.1 Start a new experiment and save it
1. Make sure you are in the PsyScope program (click on the PsyScope symbol
in the dock, if you are not sure).
2. Go to the ”Design” menu in the top of the screen and choose the option
”New Experiment”.
3. A window opens, where you are asked to name your experiment. Give
your experiment a name, for instance ”Test”, and klick OK.
4. A new window opens, where you are asked to define where you want to
save your experiment.
5. You should choose to save the experiment on ”your” place on the server.
Do like this (cf figure 4):
(a) In the top of the open window is a white field saying ”Test 1 Script”.
To the right of the field is a button with an arrow pointing downwards
(see figure 4, n:o 1). Click on this button.
(b) The window will expand (like the window in figure 4 is expanded).
1 That is, the name you have given your experiment.

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Figure 4: How to proceed to save your experiment in a folder called ”PsyScope”
on your place on the server.
(c) In the left ’column’ of the window are several shortcuts. One points
to your place on the server. It has the same name as the ID you used
to log in on the computer 2 . Click on this shortcut (see figure 4, n:o
2).
(d) Since PsyScope will produce several files from your experiment (both
when you create it, and when you run it) it is best to save your
experiment file in a separate folder. Create a new folder by clicking
the button ”New folder” in the bottom left corner of the window (see
figure 4, n:o 3).
(e) A window will open, where you can give your new folder a name.
Give it the name ”PsyScope”, and then click the ”Create”-button in
the bottom right corner of the window.
(f) The window closes, and you can notice that a new folder, named
”PsyScope” has been created in your directory on the server (see 4,
n:o 4).
(g) Now, click on the ”Save”-button in the bottom right corner of the
window (see figure 4, n:o 5).
2 In figure 4 the student log in is ”stud-vjo”, but this varies from person to person.

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6. The window will close and a new, ”Design”-window for PsyScope will show
on the screen (see figure 5). From this window we will start building the
experiment.
Figure 5: The PsyScope Design Window. From this, you start building your
experiment.
3.2 Design a template
To the left of the design window (see figure 5) there is a toolbar with symbols.
When you create an experiment in PsyScope you will often click on one of these
symbols to the left, and drag it into the right part of the window.
1. Click on the ”Template”-symbol among the tools to the left of the Design
window (see figure 6.
2. Then click somewhere in the right space of the window.
3. A window will appear, where you are asked to name your template.
4. Give it the name ”TestTemplate”, and click OK to close the window.
Figure 6: The Template symbol.
5. A template symbol will appear in the right part of the window.

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6. At the same time, the mouse cursor turns automatically into a ”drag
and connect” symbol (see figure 7). This makes it possible to connect
the ”TestTemplate” with the PsyScope symbol, called ”Test”. Place the
cursor on the ”TestTemplate”, and click, and drag to connect the template
with the PsyScope Symbol. Release the mouse then the PsyScope Symbol
darkens. You should now have connected the two symbols 3 .
Figure 7: The ”Drag and connect” symbol.
7. The design window should now look like in figure 8.
Figure 8: The Design window, with the Template connected to the PsyScope
symbol.
8. Now, double click on the ”TestTemplate” symbol.
9. The TestTemplate window opens.
This is the window where you specify the details of the experiment.
3.2.1 Add a time object
10. Now, click on the symbol for ”Time” (the hourglass, see figure 9) in the
very left column of the window.
11. Then click on the middle column of the window.
12. A window will appear, where you are asked to name your time object.
3 If it does not work, try again, by clicking the ”Drag” symbol (see figure 7) in the tool
field to the left, and, again, use the mouse to press, drag and release between two objects.

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Figure 9: The symbol for adding a time object to the experiment.
13. Name it ”Wait”, and click OK to close the window.
14. Click once on the symbol ”Wait” in the middle part of the window (see
figure 10, n:o 1).
Figure 10: Set the duration of the time object ”Wait”.
3.2.2 Specify the duration in msec for an object
15. In the bottom of the window, there will now appear information on when
and for how long the time object ”Wait” will show (cf. figure 10).
It says that ”Wait” will start at 0 milliseconds after the start of trial, i.e.,
that is at the beginning of the trial.
It further specifies the duration to 500 msec.
16. Change the duration time to 1000 msec by highlighting ”500” in the box,
and type ”1000” instead.
17. Notice how the time bar (in the right part of the window) expands, and
compare your settings with the settings in figure 10.
3.2.3 Add a text object
18. Now, click on the symbol for adding a text object (the letter ”A”, see
figure 11) in the very left column of the window.

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Figure 11: The symbol for adding a text object to the experiment.
19. Then click on the middle column of the window.
20. A window will appear, where you are asked to name your text object.
21. Name it ”Prime”, and click OK to close the window.
22. Click once on the symbol ”Prime” in the middle part of the window.
23. Look at the bottom of the window to check the settings of the duration
for the ”Prime” object.
It says that ”Prime” will start at 0 milliseconds after the end of event
wait, i.e., that is right after your first time object.
It further specifies the duration to 500 msec. Change the duration to 1000
msec.
3.2.4 Add a keyboard object (an input object)
24. Now, click on the symbol for adding a keyboard event (the finger pressing
a key, see figure 12) in the very left column of the window.
Figure 12: The symbol for adding a keyboard event to the experiment.
25. Then click on the middle column of the window.
26. A window will appear, where you are asked to name your keyboard object.
27. Name it ”Press”, and click OK to close the window.
28. Click once on the symbol ”Press” in the middle part of the window.
29. Look at the bottom of the window to check the settings of the duration
for the ”Press” object.
It says that ”Press” will start at 0 milliseconds after the end of event
Prime, i.e., that is right after your text object.
It further specifies the duration to 500 msec.
Now we will change this!
30. Set the object to start at 0 msec after the start of event Prime, by clicking
and selecting from the drag menus in the bottom of the window.
31. This will result in that the Press object starts at the same time as the
Prime object.

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3.2.5 Define the duration of the keyboard object
32. Now double click on the object ”Press”.
33. A window will open.
34. Check the circle in front of ”Event Attribs”.
35. Then click once on the drag menu after ”Duration” (i.e., on the words
”Set to”).
36. A menu opens, where you, again, should click on the option ”Set to”.
37. A window opens.
38. From the drag menu that now says ”msec”, you should choose ”Conditions”.
39. The options in the window below the drag menu will now be available to
choose from.
40. Check the box in front of ”Key” (see figure 13).
Figure 13: Check the box in front of ”Key”, to enable a key registration.
41. To the left of ”Key”, the option ”Any” has appeared.
42. Double click on ”Any”.
43. A window opens (see figure 14).
44. Highlight ”Any” in the left colum, and click the Delete button in the right
column.
45. Click the ”Add” button in the right column.
46. Three question marks (”???”) will appear in the left column.

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47. Highlight the question marks (they might be automatically highlighted).
48. Change the question marks into the letter ”y” (for ”Yes”).
49. Again, click the ”Add” button in the right column.
50. Three question marks (”???”) will appear in the left column.
51. Highlight the question marks (they might be automatically highlighted).
52. Change the question marks into the letter ”n” (for ”No”).
53. Check your settings against figure 14.
Figure 14: Define the keys to be used for experiment input.
54. Click OK to close the window.
55. The window ”Duration for Press” is still open. After the option ”Key”,
should now have appeared the letters ”y”, and ”n”.
56. Click the red cirle in the upper left corner to close the window ”Duration
for Press”.
57. Now you are back in the window ”Press Event Attributes”.
3.2.6 Define the logging of reaction time
58. Look at the option ”Actions”.
59. Click on the drag menu after ”Actions”, and choose the option ”Set to”.
60. A window called ”EventAction for Press” will open.

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61. Click on the button ”New” in the upper right corner of the window.
62. Two squares have appeared in the window. The left box says ”Never” (Cf.
figure 15).
Figure 15: Define the action condition for the keyboard event.
63. Double click on the word ”Never”.
64. A window, called ”Conditions for EventActions” will open. You will now
repeat the settings you made for the duration of the event 4 .
65. Check the box in front of ”Key” (cf. with figure figure 13).
66. To the left of ”Key”, the option ”Any” has appeared.
67. Double click on ”Any”.
68. A window opens (see figure 14).
69. Highlight ”Any” in the left colum, and click the Delete button in the right
column.
70. Click the ”Add” button in the right column.
71. Three question marks (”???”) will appear in the left column.
72. Highlight the question marks (they might be automatically highlighted).
73. Change the question marks into the letter ”y” (for ”Yes”).
74. Again, click the ”Add” button in the right column.
75. Three question marks (”???”) will appear in the left column.
76. Highlight the question marks (they might be automatically highlighted).
77. Change the question marks into the letter ”n” (for ”No”).
4 The reason for doing this is that we want the duration of the window to last exactly until
the moment the test person presses the keys ”y”, or ”n” as a reaction to what is presented on
the screen.

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78. Check your settings against figure 14.
79. Close the window by clicking OK.
80. Then, close the window ”Conditions for EventActions” by clicking in the
red circle in the upper left corner of the window.
81. You are back at the window ”EventActions for Press”.
82. Now, click on the button ”New” that is followed by an arrow pointing
downwards (cf. figure 16).
83. From the drag meny, choose the option ”RT” (”ReactionTime”).
84. The window should now look like in figure 16.
Figure 16: Define that the action condition for the keyboard event should log
the reaction time.
85. Close the window ”EventActions for Press” by clicking in the red circle in
the upper left corner of the window.
86. Close the window ”Press Event Attributes” by clicking in the red circle in
the upper left corner of the window.
87. Now, you are back in the Test Template window.
3.2.7 Define the test words in a text object
We will now define the words that will appear on the screen, i.e., the words
that the text persons should react on.
88. Double click on the text item ”Prime”.
89. A window, called ”Prime Event Attributes” will open.

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90. Make sure that the circle in front of ”Stimulus Attribs” is checked.
91. Go to the drag menu after ”Stimulus” (from the beginning it should be
set to ”Default”).
92. Click on it, and choose the option ”Vary by”, and then ”List”.
93. A window will open and tell you that there are currently no lists. Click
on the button ”Create”.
94. A window will appear where you are asked to name your list. Give it the
name ”List”.
95. Let the list type be set to ”Regular” (this should be the default option).
96. Click OK.
97. A window will prompt you to give a ”New Field Name”. Just let the
default option ”Stimulus” be here, and click OK.
98. A window, called ”List” opens.
99. Now, you should define the words you want to have in your experiment.
100. Click on the button ”New” to the left of the window.
101. In the fields in the bottom of the window there will appear the words
”Item1”, ”1” (to the right), and ”???” (to the left).
102. Repeat pressing the ”New” button seven times, so that you have in total
four lines (Item1-Item7) in the bottom of the window.
103. Then double click on the first line with ”???”.
104. A window will open (at the top of the screen), showing four fields, where
you can fill in the words you want to be part of your experiment.
105. Fill in four real words (e.g., ”cat”, ”rat”, ”hat”, and ”sat”) and four
nonwords (e.g., ”wat”, ”lat”, ”zat”, ”dat”, and ”jat”). You can use tab
to move between the fields. Press enter when you have filled in the last
word.
106. Loot at the drag meny ”Item Order”.
107. It has the default value ”Sequential”. Change this to ”Random”. This
will make the words appear on the screen in random order.
108. Your window should now look like in figure 17.
109. Close the window ”List” by clicking in the red circle in the upper left
corner of the window.
110. You are back in the window ”Prime Event Attributes”.

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Figure 17: Define the words in the experiment by adding words to your list.
111. Click on the drag menu to the right of ”Font”, and choose ”Set to”.
112. A window opens where you can change the font.
113. Change the font (e.g., to ”Arial”) by using the drag menu in the window.
114. Click OK to close the window.
115. You are back in the window ”Prime Event Attributes”.
116. Click on the drag menu to the right of ”Size”, and choose ”Set to”.
117. A window opens where you can change the font.
118. Change the font (e.g., to ”40”) by using the drag menu in the window, or
by typing in the numbers.
119. Click OK to close the window.
120. You are back in the window ”Prime Event Attributes”, close it by clicking
in the red circle in the upper left corner of the window.
121. You are back in the TestTemplate window. This window should now look
like in figure 18
122. Now, close the window TestTemplate window by clicking in the red circle
in the upper left corner of the window.
123. You are back in the Design window.
124. It is time to save your experiment (if you have not done that yet). Do this
by going to the File meny and choose ”Save Script”, or (better) press the
Apple key (to the very left of the Space bar) and ”S” at the same time.

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Figure 18: The TestTemplate window after the experimental design is finished.
125. Then, double click on the PsyScope symbol in the Design window.
126. A window opens, where you can specify the number of trials that should
appear in each block.
127. Type ”8” in the upper field (where the default value is ”1”). Since you
have 8 words in your experiment, this will mean that every word is shown
once.
128. Close the window by clicking in the red circle in the upper left corner of
the window.
129. Then, close the design window by clicking in the red circle in the upper
left corner of the window.
130. You are now in the PsyScope Window.
131. Press the button ”Run” to run your experiment. .
132. Does it work? Does all your words appear one after another on the screen?
Do they appear in random order (i.e., not in the same order that they are
listed)? Does the experiment wait to move on until you have pressed either
”y”, or ”n”? If anything of this goes wrong, you will have to go back and
ajust your script.
4 Set the Subject information
If you want to get the output, i.e., the results from the experiments (which you
probably want in the end), you have to fill in what kind of subject information
the program should log. By doing this, a file is created with information on,
e.g., reaction times to each item after every trial.
Do like this:

A simple PsyScope tutorial 17
1. Go to the Design window (i.e., click on the red circle in the upper left
corner of the Template window, if you still have this open), and click on
the symbol called ”Subject info” in the upper left corner of the window
(see figure 19).
Figure 19: Click on the Subject Info symbol to specify what kind of subject
information the program should log with each trial.
2. A new window will open, see figure 20.
Figure 20: In this window you can specify what kind of subject information the
program should log with each trial
3. Go to the first line ”Subject Name, and check the following boxes: ”Data
file” and ”Log file” (see figure 20). (If a window opens to ask you to
specify any option, just click OK.)
4. Go the the second line ”Subject Number”, and check the following boxes:
”Data file”, ”Log file” and ”Group by” (see figure 20). (If a window opens
to ask you to specify any option, just click OK.)
5. Then click on the button ”Data file...” (see figure 20, n:o 1).
6. A new window opens, see figure 21.
7. Look at the box in the right corner of the window, named. ”Subject Info
Items” (see figure 21, n:o 1).
8. Click on the line ”SubjectName”, and then on the ”Add”-button (see
figure 21, n:o 2).
9. ”SubjectName” will now appear in the box in the left corner, named ”Data
File Items”.
10. Check the box in front of ”SubjectName” for ”Use Initials” (see figure 21,
n:o 3).

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Figure 21: In this window you can specify what information that should be
shown in the output files after the experiment.
11. Then click on the button ”Separator...” (see figure 21, n:o 4).
12. A window will open, with the pre-defined separator ”-”.
13. Choose this one by just clicking ”OK”, to close the window.
14. Then click on ”SubjectNumber” in the right box in the window.
15. Click ”Add”, to move ”SubjectNumber to the left box.
16. Look at the header ”Calculate name” in the bottom of the window.
17. Choose ”Experiment is run” from the menu(see figure 21, n:o 5).
18. Click OK to close the window.
19. You still have a window (called ”Test Subject info) open. Click on the
button ”Schedule” (see figure 20, n:o 2).
20. This will open a window called ”Prompt & Log Schedule”. Here you define
the order of the various tasks in the experiment.
21. Use the mouse to click and drag the options to this order (cf. figure 22).
Open Script or Project
Open Experiment
Run
Prompt SubjectName
Assign Group

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Figure 22: Define when and what information should be prompted during the
experiment in the Prompt & Log Schedule window.
Practice
Log SubjectName
Log SubjectNumber
Calculate Data File Name
End of Run
End of Practice
Break from Run
Break from Practice
Close Experiment
Close Script or Project
Never
Prompt SubjectNumber
Prompt RunNumber
Log RunNumber
22. Close the ”Prompt & Log Schedule” window by clicking on the red circle
in the upper left corner of the window.
23. Close the ”Test subject info” window by clicking on the red circle in the
upper left corner of the window.
24. Save your experiment by pressing the apple key (next to space bar) and
”S” at the same time.

A simple PsyScope tutorial 20
25. Then go to ”Run” in the menu at the top of the screen and test run your
experiment.
4.1 Find the output data
The result from the test run is saved in a file with the subject’s initials. The
file is saved in the same folder as the experiment. If a subject takes several
experiments, these will be saved in the same file.
Do like this to find and look at the output data:
1. Click on the ”Finder”-symbol in the dock (cf figure ??).
2. Press the apple key and N at the same time if you don’t see a finder
window.
3. When a finder window is open, look at the column to the left, and click
on the symbol for your place on the server (i.e., the link with the same
name as the id you used to log in on the computer).
4. Then double click on the folder ”PsyScope” that you have saved in your
folder.
5. This is where you saved the experiment, and this is where, by default, the
data output files will end up. Now, look at a file with a name created out
of the initials of your test subject, for instance ”VJ”, if your subject is
named ”Victoria Johansson”.
6. Double click on the file, and it will open.
7. The file will contain information on reaction times, and which item (i.e.,
which test word) that was presented for each trial.
You can use for instance Excel (available on this computer by going to
the program folder - follow the instructions as how to find the PsyScope
in the beginning of this tutorial, section 2.1) to organise your data.