Designing a Maze task

Comments

• eduard

  September 2024

  Hi,

  Nested loops (one for the trials, the second one for the word in the sentence) and every word in a separate column. See the attached experiment.

  Hope this helps,

  Eduard

  Newexperiment.osexp

  
  

  
• brusk

  September 2024

  Hi Eduard,

  Thanks for the suggestion - I've moved forward with that basic design.

  I've been using SigmundAI to help design the experiment - It's pretty limited and really likes stick with solutions that don't work, but it's good for providing code that I can manipulate. (My Python, OpenSesame, and general programming skills are pretty limited).

  The problem with having all the stimuli in separate columns for each row is that by default the standard 'subject-0.csv' results file only gives me data (response time, whether correct, etc) for the final word in the sentence, but I need the data for each one. Sigmund's solution was to use datamatrix to create an additional results file (which will eventually need to be named dynamically). But this would only give me the results for all the word in the last trial. I suggested to Sigmund to store the trial results in one datamatrix and then add it to another data matrix called 'all_results' and then save 'all_results.csv' The code that Sigmund produced seems like it should do this, but it doesn't work and I'm really stumped as to why - I really don't understand how all_results is getting copied over.

  import random
  import os
  from datamatrix import DataMatrix, io
  
  print("Run Phase Started")
  
  # Ensure that primary_words and alt_words are lists
  primary_words = eval(var.primary_words) if isinstance(var.primary_words, str) else var.primary_words
  alt_words = eval(var.alt_words) if isinstance(var.alt_words, str) else var.alt_words
  
  # Debugging: Check the types and content of the word lists
  print(f"Primary words type: {type(primary_words)}, content: {primary_words}")
  print(f"Alternative words type: {type(alt_words)}, content: {alt_words}")
  
  # Debugging: Check the writable path
  print("Writable path:", writable_path)
  
  # Verify the directory and path permissions
  directory = os.path.dirname(writable_path)
  print(f"Current working directory: {os.getcwd()}")
  if not os.path.exists(directory):
      print(f"Directory does not exist: {directory}")
  elif not os.access(directory, os.W_OK):
      print(f"Directory is not writable: {directory}")
  else:
      print(f"Directory is writable: {directory}")
  
  # Create a Canvas object
  my_canvas = Canvas()
  
  # Variable to track consecutive incorrect answers
  consecutive_incorrect = 0
  
  # Initialize DataMatrix for logging results for each trial
  num_trials = len(primary_words)
  
  # Initialize DataMatrix for accumulating all results
  all_results = DataMatrix()
  
  # Loop through the primary words and display them
  for i in range(num_trials):
      # If two consecutive incorrect answers occur, end the session.
      if consecutive_incorrect >= 2:
          print("Ending the trial due to two consecutive incorrect answers.")
          break
  
      x_position_p = random.choice([-200, 200])  # Random position for primary word
      x_position_a = -x_position_p              # Opposite position for alternative word
      y_position = 0  # Always centered on y-axis
  
      # Log the actual word for debugging
      current_word = primary_words[i]
      print(f"Displaying word: '{current_word}'")
  
      # Clear the canvas and then display the words
      my_canvas.clear()
      my_canvas.text(primary_words[i], x=x_position_p, y=y_position, color='white', font_size=30)  # Display primary word
      my_canvas.text(alt_words[i], x=x_position_a, y=y_position, color='white', font_size=30)      # Display alternative word
      t0 = my_canvas.show()  # Show the canvas
  
      # Initialize a Keyboard object and capture input
      my_keyboard = Keyboard(keylist=['left', 'right'])
      key, t1 = my_keyboard.get_key()
  
      reaction_time = t1 - t0
      var.response = key
      var.response_time = reaction_time
  
      # Determine if the response is correct based on the primary word
      correct = (key == 'left' and x_position_p == -200) or (key == 'right' and x_position_p == 200)
  
      # Log key responses, reaction times, and correctness for debugging
      print(f"Pressed key: {key}, Reaction time: {reaction_time}, Word: {current_word}, Correct: {correct}")
  
      # Increment or reset the consecutive incorrect counter
      if correct:
          consecutive_incorrect = 0  # Reset counter on correct response
      else:
          consecutive_incorrect += 1  # Increment counter on incorrect response
  
      # Create DataMatrix for the current trial
      trial_result = DataMatrix(length=1)
      trial_result["response"] = [key]
      trial_result["response_time"] = [reaction_time]
      trial_result["word"] = [current_word]
      trial_result["correct"] = [correct]
  
      # Debugging: Print the trial result to ensure it's correct
      print(f"Trial result:\n{trial_result}")
  
      # Append current trial results to all_results
      if len(all_results) == 0:
          all_results = trial_result
      else:
          all_results = all_results << trial_result
  
      # Debugging: Print the all_results after each append
      print(f"All results after trial {i+1}:\n{all_results}")
  
  print("Run Phase Completed")
  
  # Remove any rows that were not used due to early termination
  all_results = all_results[:len(all_results) - consecutive_incorrect]
  
  # Debugging: Print the final all_results before saving
  print(f"Final results:\n{all_results}")
  
  # Save the results to CSV
  print("Results type", type(all_results))
  print(all_results)
  
  for colname, col in all_results.columns:
      print(f"Column: {colname}, Type: {type(col).__name__}, Data: {col}")
  
  print(f"Type of results immediately before saving: {type(all_results)}")
  
  # Save results only if directory is writable
  if os.path.exists(directory) and os.access(directory, os.W_OK):
      io.writetxt(all_results, writable_path)
      print("Results saved to:", writable_path)
  else:
      print("Could not save results due to unwritable directory")
  
  print("Script execution complete.")
  
  
  
  
  

  The issue is in the prepare phase, but if it helps I'll add the prepare phase and the stimuli csv.

  # Prepare phase script to fetch primary and alternative words from loop table and store them
  primary_words = []
  alt_words = []
  
  for i in range(1, 10):
      primary_var = f'primary_word{i}'  # Variable name e.g., primary_word1
      alt_var = f'alt_word{i}'          # Variable name e.g., alt_word1
  
      # Fetch the values using experiment variables defined in loop
      primary = var.get(primary_var, "").strip()
      alt = var.get(alt_var, "").strip()
  
      # Add the words to the lists if they are not empty
      if primary:
          primary_words.append(primary)
      if alt:
          alt_words.append(alt)
  
  # Combine words without shuffling to maintain a specific order
  combined_words = primary_words + alt_words
  
  # Store combined words and types as experiment variables
  var.combined_words = combined_words
  
  # Define a writable path (use absolute path)
  writable_path = '/pathy/mcpath/face/all_prep_results.csv'  # Change this to your actual path
  
  # Debugging: Print to verify whole words and types
  print(f"Primary words ({len(primary_words)}):", primary_words)
  print("Alternative words:", alt_words)
  print("Combined words:", combined_words)
  print("Primary words:", type(primary_words))  # Should output: <class 'list'>
  print("Combined words:", type(primary_words))  # Should output: <class 'list'>
  

  I've also attached, in order, the csv of the stim for this minimum working example, the log file, and the 'all_results'. And my experiment. Hopefully, you (or someone) can see the issue from the run phase above.

  mweStim.csv

  subject-0.csv

  all_prep_results.csv

  minimalWE_1.osexp

  Any help is greatly appreciated.

  Best,
• brusk

  September 2024

  Actually, revisiting your original advice, I realize that Sigmund got me to move away from the original recommendation of nested loops with one for the trials, the second one for the word in the sentence. If I can get that back it might (should) solve my problem. I'll try to get that working, but any advice would still be appreciated.

  Best,
• eduard

  September 2024

  Your problem sounds to me, as if you simply need to move the logger one layer inside the nested loops. New lines to the data file are only added, if a logger is passed. If it is not included inside a loop but only after it, it will only log the variables from the last iteration.

  is this the issue?

  Eduard