Making different subgroups inside a block loop on a math problem verification task

Tryfonas_Bikos

Hi there!

I have designed a math problem verification task in OpenSesame, and I would like to make a slight modification, although I am not sure how to go about implementing it. It goes as follows:

My math PVT includes additions and subtractions (12 items for each block total—6 and 6) and 7 blocks of ascending difficulty. I would like the items to be presented based on operation type (e.g., 6 additions, followed by 6 subtractions, and vice versa), but the order of items within the 6 additions and 6 subtractions, as well as which operation group is presented first and which second within each block to be randomized.

I understand that it might be a bit confusing, so I am willing to provide any further information to make it clearer. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Tryfonas_Bikos

In other words, I would like in this case the table to shuffle, except the variable "operation" (the order of presented operation to stay the same, while shuffling the items). I have tried shuffle_horiz but it doesn't work, as it shuffles columns horizontally and not vertically, as I would like.

Any thoughts?

Tryfonas_Bikos

Update: I have managed to shuffle all the other columns except the operation column by using the command "sortby operation" in the block loop script.

The next (and final) step that I am not sure how to achieve is to randomize whether additions (grouped, all 6 items) are presented first and subtractions( grouped, all 6 items) are presented second, or vice versa.

Any thoughts on that?

eduard

Hi,

Not sure whether this is the best approach using the gui, but you could try to separate the two operations into two separate block loops. Alternatively, you might want to think about using plain Python code (within the inline_script item) to achieve that. To be clear, it might be possible to do it with the loop operations and standard Opensesame items, but I am not sure how exactly.

Eduard

Tryfonas_Bikos

Hi Eduard!

First of all, thanks for the reply!

I have thought that I could divide the blocks into two different sub-blocks each (one with additions and one with subtractions for each difficulty level) but this way I can't randomise the order in which each sub-block appears. It depends solely on whether I myself put the additions or subtractions sub-block first for each level.

Given that I am a complete novice in using python scripts, I have not thought of a set of commands that would give me the desired result.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks again for the help!

eduard

You could add three items to the sequence:

• subblock1 (run_if: order =1)
• sublock2 (run_if: always)
• subblock1 (run_if: order =2)

Like that, you could counterbalance the order. Depending on how you define the variable order, you can also randomize the order entirely. Does that make sense?

Eduard