FOCLAB: A language for computer-controlled psychology research

The FOCLAB system, a dialect of FOCAL, provides complete real-time experiment control and data acquisition capabilities in the area of experimental psychology. The language provides digital and analog input/output, graphics (including alphanumerics) on a refresh CRT, and a powerful set of time measurement operations. With these facilities FOCAL may be used in cognitive and operant, as well as psychophysiological research. FOCLAB will operate with either PDP-8 or PDP-12 systems, and can control most of the currently existing lab interface options for these computers. The system will operate on 8K core-only machines, as well as under OS/8.     

A computer-controlled system for training and testing primates

The hardware and software for a computer-controlled training and testing system for primates are described. The computer (DDP-116 in the Computer-Controlled Psychology Laboratory at Carnegie-Mellon University) controls all stimulus presentation, reinforcement, and records data in a form ready for analysis on a larger computer.     

MacLab: A Macintosh system for psychology labs

MacLab, a program that turns the Apple Macintosh into a psychology laboratory tool, is described. MacLab combines intelligent editors, a millisecond timer, MacPaint pictures, and the ease of use of the Macintosh user interface to create a system with which experimental psychologists can quickly create and run powerful experiments with no need of any knowledge of programming.     

A computer-controlled cardiotachometer

A versatile display system for presenting heart rate information is described. The display has a table with 10 rows and 50 columns. This 10 by 50 matrix contains all integers from 0 to 499, so that it can display the instantaneous R-R intervals of a rat’s EKG to the nearest millisecond. At each beat 1 of 10 vertically and 1 of 50 horizontally arranged indicator lights are turned on to provide the coordinates for reading the table. Either beat-to-beat or averaged heart rate or period is displayed. Small and large changes can be easily and accurately observed on the same scale. The lights are controlled by a PDP-8/e. A listing of the assembler program is presented.     

A modular,computer-controlled system for olfactory stimulation in the MRI environment

Although the cerebral networks involved in sensory perception are of general interest in neuroscience, registration of the effects of olfactory stimulation, especially in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment, presents particular problems and constraints. This article presents details of a reliable and portable system for olfactory stimulation that is modular in design and based on microcontroller technology. It has the following characteristics: (1)?It is under software control; (2)?the presentation of olfactory stimulation can be synchronized with respiration; (3)?it can be manually controlled; and (4)?it is fully compatible with an MRI environment. The principle underlying this system is to direct an odor to the subject’s nostrils by switching airflow to different odor diffusers. The characteristics of this system were established using (1)?ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, to measure its response time, and (2)?gas chromatography, to measure the repeatability of odor presentation in terms of gas concentration. A response time of 200?± 25 ms was obtained for the system, and the standard deviations of the gas concentration delivered during stimulation ranged from 1.5% to 22%, depending on the odor, the airflow, and the dilution of the odor used. Since it is portable, controlled by software, and reliable, on the basis of the results we obtained, this system will lend itself to a wide range of applications in olfactory neuroscience.     

Automatic monitoring of temperature and/or location: A computer-controlled radiotelemetry system

A radiotelemetry system for continuous monitoring of the temperature and/or location of small animals is described. All the functions of system control are carried out by an on-line microcomputer (TRS-80 Model III), resulting in a versatile system capable of alternating recording the temperature/location of multiple subjects with other behavioral or physiological events, such as activity level. We describe the use of this system in monitoring body temperature in hamsters and in recording the incubation pattern of breeding ring doves.     

A computer-controlled matrix system for presentation to the skin of complex spatiotemporal patterns

A system for presenting complex spatiotemporal patterns to the skin is described. The computer-controlled device consists of a matrix of 64 piezoceramic benders mounted in a support system that can be fitted to steeply contoured skin surfaces such as the thigh. Vibrotactile patterns that include movement across the skin’s surface and/or intensitive variation within or across display epochs are programmed and presented in a frame-by-frame manner, similar to the production of motion pictures. Patterns can be predefined, or modified by observers’ responses to allow for an interactive haptographic display. Design considerations for the construction of the tactile matrix, computer interface, and software are discussed.     

A computer-controlled language training system for investigating the language skills of young apes

A computer-controlled language training system was designed and constructed to enhance the objectivity and efficiency of inquiry into the language-relevant behaviors of apes. The system allows the S to gain control over the events of the 24-h day in direct correspondence with its competence in using a keyboard on which each key represents a word. Various incentives can be obtained through the selection and depression of appropriate keys in accordance with rules of sentence structure monitored by a computer. The system is flexible and allows for eventual conversation between man and ape, with the computer as the intermediary. A Teletype records all that transpires. Achievements of the chimpanzee S over the course of the first 8 months of the system’s operation attest to the worth of the system and training methods.     

An automated identification system for use with computer-controlled tasks

Monkeys of various species can use a joystick to perform a variety of computer-generated tasks. The purpose of this paper is to describe an automated system that determines which subject in a social group has completed a task. The system is based on a microchip that is easily injected into the forearm. The present paper demonstrates the technique with 1 animal that had a different chip in each arm.     

A computer-controlled system for the recording modification and presentation of two-channel musical stimuli

This paper describes a computer-based system for the on-line experimental use of musical stimuli. The system is in two sections. The first records in digital form two successive monophonie keyboard performances and combines them into a two-part musical stimulus consisting of bass and treble melodic lines. This musical stimulus can be modified in one or more ways by means of an editing program. The second part of the system presents the modified stimulus to the subject and records his reaction time to particular target notes. The system can be expanded to allow the merging of a larger number of melodic lines into a single polyphonic form or can be modified to produce precisely controlled two-channel tonal stimuli.     

A computer-controlled vapor-dilution olfactometer

A computer-controlled olfactometer with several innovations leading to closer control over the stimulus parameters and minimization of nonolfactory cues is presented. A microcomputer is used to control the stimulus duration and interstimulus interval. Electronic mass flow con-trollers are employed to maintain close control over the flow in the pure air line and the stimulus-bearing line. Both humidity and temperature are closely regulated. Using a nasal catheter, this stimulus delivery system coupled with velopharyngeal closure and oral breathing permits accurate specification of the quantity of stimulus material actually entering a subject’s nares. The design is such that the computer programming, patch panel interface, and threaded tubing allow versatility in the type of olfactometric study that can be conducted. This system is amenable for threshold, electrophysiological, and sensory adaptation studies of olfaction.     

ARTIST: A computer system for creating and running psychology experiments

A flexible computer system for research and teaching experiments in psychology is described. Special features of the system include (1) separate phases for the generation and running of experiments, (2) facilities to control presentation of stimuli according to any factorial design, and (3) different modes of operation depending on the prior knowledge of the users. The system is evaluated both in terms of the range of experiments that can be performed and in terms of the time and effort required to create new experiments or modify old ones. General principles for designing interactive systems are discussed in the light of experiences with this particular system.     

Computer-based methodology laboratories: 1. An undergraduate course in experimental psychology

At West Virginia University, microcomputers are used in the laboratory sections of a conventional undergraduate course on research methods in psychology. IBM-compatible computers and QuickBasic programs are used to duplicate the functions of equipment that is less reliable and, taken collectively, more expensive—equipment such as stimulus projectors, pursuit rotors, timers, and mirror tracing stands. The computer systems increase the speed and efficiency of data collection, reduce errors of procedure and measurement, and implement numerous steps to standardize procedures and limit extraneous influences. As a consequence, uncontrolled variability is minimized, and the opportunity for meaningful research outcomes is maximized. The laboratory can be expanded with software alone, without the expense of additional hardware.