10/29/2017 User Manual for Inquisit's Attentional Network Task

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User Manual for Inquisit's Attentional

Network Task
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10/29/2017 User Manual for Inquisit's Attentional Network Task

ATTENTION NETWORK TEST (ANT) - Adult Version

SCRIPT INFO

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 02-21-2013
last updated: 03-08-2017 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, L

Copyright © 03-08-2017 Millisecond Software

BACKGROUND INFO

*Purpose*
This script implements the Attention Network Test (ANT) as described in:

Fan, J., McCandliss, B. D., Sommer, T., Raz, A., & Posner, M. I. (2002). Testing the efficien
of attentional networks. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 14, 340–347.

The original ANT for adults and the child ANT as well as all stimuli used are generously shar
the original authors/Sackler Institute at: http://www.sacklerinstitute.org/cornell/assays_an

*Task*
Participants are presented arrows either directly above or below a fixation cross. Arrows may
stimuli (3 flanker conditions). Participants have to decide whether the arrows point right o
Several cue conditions (4) (may) alert the participants that the targets are about to come o
and potentially where on the screen (above or below the fixation cross).

Differences in mean reaction times in the different cue/flanker conditions are used to calcul
the following three Attentional Network Effects:
* Alert Effect: Effect of achieving and maintaining alertness
* Orienting Effect: Effect of orienting attention towards a specific location of information
* Conflict Effect: Effect of resolving conflict between several possible responses

DATA FILE INFORMATION:

The default data stored in the data files are:

(1) Raw data file: 'ANT_raw*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)

build: Inquisit build

computer.platform: the platform the script was run on
date, time, subject: date and time script was run with the current subject
/blockcount: counts the number of experimental blocks run
blockcode: the name and number of the current block
/trialcount: counts the number of trials run (resets after practic
trialcode: the name and number of the currently recorded trial
/cuecondition: sets the current cue condition (1 = no cue; 2 = cente
/flankercondition: sets the current flanker condition (1 = neutral; 2 =
/targetposition: sets position of target (1 = above fixation; 2 = belo
/targetdirection: sets the direction of the target (1 = right; 2 = left

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text.flanker1.currentitem-
text.flanker4.currenitem: stores the items used as flanker1-flanker4

Variables that contain x/y coordinates for cues, targets, flankers:

/target_x
/target_y
/flanker1_x
/flanker1_y
/cue1_x
/cue1_y

response: the response of participant (scancode of response but

correct: correctness of response (1 = correct, 0 = error)
latency: response latency (in ms)

Variables to help calculate mean reaction times (RT) for the different cue/flanker conditions
needed to calculate the Alert Effect, Orienting Effect and Conflict Effect
/count_correctNoCue-
/sumRT_correctInCongruent
Expressions that calcuate the mean reaction times (RT) for the different cue/flanker conditio
/meanRT_correctNoCue -----
/meanRT_correctInCongruent

(2) Summary data file: 'ANT_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)

script.startdate: date script was run

script.starttime: time script was started
script.subjectid: subject id number
script.groupid: group id number
script.elapsedtime: time it took to run script (in ms)
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on
/completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted); 1 = scrip
/overallpercentcorrect: %correct across all testblock trials
/meanRT_correct: overall mean RT (of correct responses) for test trials

Variables to help calculate mean reaction times (RT) for the different cue/flanker conditions
needed to calculate the Alert Effect, Orienting Effect and Conflict Effect (see EXPRESSIONS)
/count_correctNoCue-
/sumRT_correctInCongruent

Expressions that calcuate the mean reaction times (RT) for the different cue/flanker conditio
/meanRT_correctNoCue -----
/meanRT_correctInCongruent

Expressions that use above expressions and calculate the 3 attentional network effects (Fan e
/AlertingEffect = expressions.meanrt_correctnocue - expressions.meanrt_correctdoublecue => Ef
/OrientingEffect = expressions.meanrt_correctcentercue - expressions.meanrt_correctspatialcue
/ConflictEffect = expressions.meanrt_correctincongruent - expressions.meanrt_correctcongruent

EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

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4 cue conditions (no cue, center cue, double cue, spatial cue) x 3 flanker conditions (neutra
within-subjects design

A) 1 Block of 24 Practice trial sequences with full feedback, including summary feedback of s
B) 3 Blocks of 96 trial sequences each - no feedback
EXPERIMENTAL BLOCKS:
96 trial sequences: 2 (repetitions) x 4 (cue conditions) x 3 (flanker conditions) x 2 (ta
TRIAL SEQUENCE (one sequence for each cue condition) - randomly selected
fixation (randomly chosen presentation time) -> cue (100ms) -> fixation (400ms) -> ta

STIMULI
A) Type of Stimuli: This script uses a simple black dot as the cue as opposed to a * (see Fan

B) Size of Stimuli:
Fan et al (2002) give specific dimensions of the size and distance of targets/flankers (p.345
=> distance participant/screen: 65 cm
=> single line arrow : 0.55 degree visual angle
=> distance flankers/target: 0.06 degree visual angle (area covered by all: 3.08 degree v
=> distance target/fixation cross: 1.06 degree visual angle

This script does NOT attempt to replicate these dimensions as different monitors require diff
Fine-tune fontsize of stimuli, distance of flanker to target, and position of target above an
fixation cross under section EDITABLE PARAMETERS

INSTRUCTIONS
Note: Instructions are modelled after the instructions generously made available on:
http://www.sacklerinstitute.org/cornell/assays_and_tools/
Instructions can be edited under section EDITABLE INSTRUCTIONS

EDITABLE CODE:
check under EDITABLE CODE below for (relatively) easily editable parameters, stimuli, instruc
Keep in mind that you can use this script as a template and therefore always "mess" with the

The parameters you can change are:

Stimuli Dimension/Placement:
/fontsize_fixation: regulates the size of the fixation cross, in canvas h
/fontsize_cue: regulates the size of the cues, in canvas height perc
/fontsize_target: regulates the size of the target/flanker, in canvas h
/flankerdistance: the relative screen distance between stimuli, in canv
/top_y: the y-coordinate of the target above the fixation cro
/bottom_y: the y-coordinate of the target below the fixation cro

Trial Durations:
/completetrial_duration: sets the complete duration of one trial sequence (def
/cue_duration: sets the duration of the cue presentation (default: 1
/fixation2_duration: sets the duration of the fixation cross after cue pre
/target_duration: sets the maximal duration of the target/flanker prese
/practicefeedback_duration: sets the duration of the feedback trial during practi

Response Keys:
/responsekey_left: scancode for the left response key (default: "E", 18)
/responsekey_right: scancode for the right response key (default: "I", 23

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