Metronome LKM: An open source virtual keyboard driver to measure experiment software latencies

Experiment software is often used to measure reaction times gathered with keyboards or other input devices. In previous studies, the accuracy and precision of time stamps has been assessed through several means: (a) generating accurate square wave signals from an external device connected to the parallel port of the computer running the experiment software, (b) triggering the typematic repeat feature of some keyboards to get an evenly separated series of keypress events, or (c) using a solenoid handled by a microcontroller to press the input device (keyboard, mouse button, touch screen) that will be used in the experimental setup. Despite the advantages of these approaches in some contexts, none of them can isolate the measurement error caused by the experiment software itself. Metronome LKM provides a virtual keyboard to assess an experiment’s software. Using this open source driver, researchers can generate keypress events using high-resolution timers and compare the time stamps collected by the experiment software with those gathered by Metronome LKM (with nanosecond resolution). Our software is highly configurable (in terms of keys pressed, intervals, SysRq activation) and runs on 2.6–4.8 Linux kernels.     

Measuring keyboard response delays by comparing keyboard and joystick inputs

The response characteristics of PC keyboards have to be identified when they are used as response devices in psychological experiments. In the past, the proposed method has been to check the characteristics independently by means of external measurement equipment. However, with the availability of different PC models and the rapid pace of model change, there is an urgent need for the development of convenient and accurate methods of checking. The method proposed here consists of raising the precision of the PC’s clock to the microsecond level and using a joystick connected to the MIDI terminal of a sound board to give the PC an independent timing function. Statistical processing of the data provided by this method makes it possible to estimate accurately the keyboard scanning interval time and the average keyboard delay time. The results showed that measured keyboard delay times varied from 11 to 73 msec, depending on the keyboard model, with most values being less than 30 msec.     

Automated data collection using bar code

Using bar code technology to automate data collection provides a rapid and reliable alternative to paper-and-pencil tracking or keyboard entry into pocket or laptop computer. An array of bar code symbols is printed on a data menu, with a unique symbol corresponding to each possible observation. Bar code symbols are scanned using hand-held readers, which record the event, log the observation time, and store data for transfer to a personal computer. Advantages of the bar code monitoring system include: (1) ease of use by staff with minimal technical training, (2) reduced data entry errors and increased entry speed, (3) reliable portable operation, and (4) low-cost hardware. While the bar code system described here is used for behavioral monitoring in a residential treatment setting for the developmentally disabled, with minimal modification this system can be adapted for use in a wide variety of research and clinical applications.     

Shaping data collection congruent with experimental hypotheses

The influence of instructions and feedback from an experimenter on observational recordings of disruptive behavior was evaluated. Four subject-observers recorded four categories of disruptive behavior from videotapes of children in a classroom setting. Two sets of videotapes, labelled "baseline" and "treatment", were matched for rates of disruptive behavior in each category. The observers were told that two target behaviors were expected to decrease and the other two control behaviors were not expected to change during the treatment condition. During observational recording of treatment videotapes, the observers were given positive feedback when they reported decreases in the two target behaviors, and negative feedback when they reported either to change or increases in the two control behaviors. The target behaviors were recorded less frequently by observers, while recordings of control behaviors were unaffected during the treatment phase. These results suggest that contingent feedback to observers should be avoided as a possible source of bias in behavioral recordings.     

Assessing and overcoming participant dishonesty in online data collection

Crowdsourcing services, such as MTurk, have opened a large pool of participants to researchers. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to confidently acquire a sample that matches a given demographic, psychographic, or behavioral dimension. This problem exists because little information is known about individual participants and because some participants are motivated to misrepresent their identity with the goal of financial reward. Despite the fact that online workers do not typically display a greater than average level of dishonesty, when researchers overtly request that only a certain population take part in an online study, a nontrivial portion misrepresent their identity. In this study, a proposed system is tested that researchers can use to quickly, fairly, and easily screen participants on any dimension. In contrast to an overt request, the reported system results in significantly fewer (near zero) instances of participant misrepresentation. Tests for misrepresentations were conducted by using a large database of past participant records (~45,000 unique workers). This research presents and tests an important tool for the increasingly prevalent practice of online data collection.     

The relationship between extraversion and time of data collection

According to Eysenck's theory introverts, because they are cautious or low in impulsivity, should fulfill their mandatory experimental credit hours by volunteering for experiments early in the semester while extraverts should wait until the last minute. Data collected during the 5th and 15th week of the semester and after the semester was completed provide modest support for the hypothesis. Extraversion scores for the last session were significantly higher than the prior four sessions in an a priori contrast (t = 3.48, df = 152, P < 0.001) but scores from the 15th week while higher than the 5th, were not significantly higher (t = 1.30, df = 152, P = 0.20).     

Learning and memory for personality prototypes

Although personality traits are commonly assumed to be represented in memory as schemata, little research has addressed whether such schemata can be learned from observation. Subjects in three studies classified 60 person instances into group members and nonmembers as defined by the instances' match to a complex personality prototype. To simulate learning of fuzzy categories, each person instance provided conflicting cues to group membership. Learning for instances' group membership was excellent across studies. In Study 1, frequency of cues indicating group membership was greatly overestimated among nongroup instances. In Study 2, schema-consistent memory bias was revealed for person instances. In Study 3, schemata of consistently positive (or negative) traits were learned faster than arbitrary schemata. The findings implicated frequency sensitivity of memory (Estes, 1986), and a model of probabilistic cued-memory retrieval was developed to account for the effects. The findings were then discussed in relation to everyday cognitive performance.     

Techniques of data collection and reduction in systematic field observation

Two specific instances of data collection under field observation conditions are noted: (1) the sampling of police activities and interactions, and (2) the influence of proximity and similarity on informal group formation. Coding and recording of behaviors are described and the management of data detailed.     

Online data collection for psychotherapy process research.

A preliminary investigation addressed the feasibility of using a specially designed online database to collect psychotherapy session impact and therapist-client alliance data and compared these online measures to published results of their paper-and-pencil counterparts. Participants drawn from a psychology department clinic, a student counseling center, and community agencies visited an online site to report on each of their sessions. Some clients and therapists visited the online database on a regular basis; however, client recruitment and participation was problematic. Equivalence between the online and paper-and-pencil forms was supported, with minor qualifications, by comparable distributions of participant responses on the measures' scales. More direct contact with clients might increase their participation.     

Skilled typing performance and keyboard design

This article discusses the major control principles of fluent typing and their relevance to the design of keyboards. This research was supported by a grant (C00232213) from the U.K. Economic and Social Research Council.     

PDP-12 stimulus control and data collection for lateralized discrimination learning

A BASIC program that requires a minimum 8K core, 32K disk, KW12-A real-time clock, eight extended operation eight-mode DEC relays with peripheral interface, and user-generated special-function assembly language subroutines for clock and relay control was prepared, using advanced OS/8 BASIC, for conducting laterality studies. It is assumed that the user’s system has a dual tape drive. CRT, and Teletype. Modified IEE readouts have been used for stimulus presentation. Laterality effects and results suggesting application of the procedure in clinical neuropsychological testing have been achieved. This paper describes the rationale for development of the task, summarizes administration procedures, and provides flowcharts of the BASIC program and assembly language special functions, as well as a circuit diagram for the peripheral relay interface.     

A multimodal data collection tool using REALbasic and Mac OS X

This project uses REALbasic 3.5 in the Mac OS X environment for development of a configuration tool that builds a data collection procedure for investigating the effectiveness of sonified graphs. The advantage of using REALbasic with the Mac OS X system is that it provides rapid development of stimulus presentation, direct recording of data to files, and control over other procedural issues. The program can be made to run natively on the new Mac OS X system, older Mac OS systems, and Windows (98SE, ME, 2000 PRO). With modification, similar programs could be used to present any number of visual/auditory stimulus combinations, complete with questions for each stimulus.