A software system for real-time control of psychological experiments

This paper describes an all-purpose experimental system, “APES,” for use in a microprocessor-controlled behavioral pharmacology laboratory. APES is an assembly language program that can run on any of the DEC PDP-11 family processors under an RT-11 single-job operating system. Its main purpose is the real-time control of psychological experimentation. The capabilities of the system are: (1) system generation of all operant or Pavlovian conditioning paradigms, (2) collection and storage of both behavioral and physiological data in a machine-readable format for later statistical analysis, and (3) operation that can be accomplished by individuals who have no computer programming experience.     

A 6809 single-board computer system for the control of behavioral experiments

A computer system consisting of a 6809 single-board computer in conjunction with an IBM-compatible Personal Computer (PC) is described for the control of behavioral experiments. The single-board computer uses the C programming language to program experimental events. Each component of the system (the single-board computer, a digital interface, the PC, and the software) is outlined with its capabilities and drawbacks noted.     

A multiplexed vectored interface logic system for control of behavioral experiments

An interface was constructed which enabled a minicomputer to control operant conditioning experiments with a minimal amount of software recognition and input/output instructions. The hardware consisted of a real-time clock, logic to input a unique number with each change of state of digital input, and logic and solid state drivers to control standard, commercial 24 V behavioral stimuli.     

Top-down design for a system to control operant choice experiments

STATIONS, a FORTRAN program to control operant choice experiments, was developed based on the principles of top-down design and structured programming. As a consequence, the program consists of modules organized in a hierarchical fashion. Separate modules deal with different types of reinforcement schedules, such as variable ratio (VR) and variable interval (VI). These modules produce specific schedules with different parameters by using sequences of values read in at ran time and then randomly sampled. This form of organization permits modifications to be made via changes confined to one module without global repercussions. The clarity of structure that results from the application of top-down design and structured programming should enable future users to more easily adapt this package to suit their specific needs.     

A self-novelty manipulation of self-focused attention for Internet and laboratory experiments

Conventional manipulations of self-focused attention are poorly suited for Internet experiments and for group-based administration. The authors present a self-novelty manipulation that effectively induces self-awareness for such contexts. In the high self-focus condition, people write about how they differ from their family and friends and from people in general. In the control conditions, people write about neutral topics or do no writing. Three experiments using different measures of self-focus (the situational self-awareness scale, a pronoun selection task, and the private self-consciousness scale) showed that the self-novelty manipulation significantly increased self-focused attention. This effect appeared in Internet-based experiments (Experiment 1) and in laboratory experiments with groups (Experiments 2 and 3). The self-novelty manipulation appears promising for self-awareness research conducted outside of conventional laboratory contexts.     

A satellite system for controlling real-time experiments

In this paper, we describe a computer system for controlling real-time psychology experiments. We begin by considering the kinds of experiments that are performed in our laboratory and examining the hardware and software requirements of these experiments. We then review various systems along a continuum ranging from general-purpose timesharing systems to stand-alone dedicated processors. The capabilities of these systems are described in comparison with our requirements. The features of the PARASITE-FS system are then described. This host-satellite system includes a local file system and monitor program, real-time device drivers with flexible interrupt processing capabilities, user-level routines for controlling the real-time devices, and a package for controlling the timing of experimental events.     

A high-level language for control of psychology experiments

A language for controlling learning, memory, and perception experiments is described. The language features the capability of manipulating large amounts of alphanumeric information with ease. A small, but powerful, command set uses the psychologists’, rather than the programmers’, logic and jargon.     

A simple framework (ASF) for behavioral and neuroimaging experiments based on the psychophysics toolbox for MATLAB

The cognitive neurosciences combine behavioral experiments with acquiring physiological data from different modalities, such as electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and functional magnetic resonance imaging, all of which require excellent timing. A simple framework is proposed in which uni- and multimodal experiments can be conducted with minimal adjustments when one switches between modalities. The framework allows the beginner to quickly become productive and the expert to be flexible and not constrained by the tool by building on existing software such as MATLAB and the Psychophysics Toolbox, which already are serving a large community. The framework allows running standard experiments but also supports and facilitates exciting new possibilities for real-time neuroimaging and state-dependent stimulation.     

A self-novelty manipulation of self-focused attention for internet and laboratory experiments.

Conventional manipulations of self-focused attention are poorly suited for Internet experiments and for group-based administration. The authors present a self-novelty manipulation that effectively induces self-awareness for such contexts. In the high self-focus condition, people write about how they differ from their family and friends and from people in general. In the control conditions, people write about neutral topics or do no writing. Three experiments using different measures of self-focus (the situational self-awareness scale, a pronoun selection task, and the private self-consciousness scale) showed that the self-novelty manipulation significantly increased self-focused attention. This effect appeared in Internet-based experiments (Experiment 1) and in laboratory experiments with groups (Experiments 2 and 3). The self-novelty manipulation appears promising for self-awareness research conducted outside of conventional laboratory contexts.     

A microcomputer system for controlling classical conditioning experiments

A microcomputer-based laboratory system for controlling stimulus presentations and data acquisition in classical conditioning experiments is described. The system comprises an Intel 386/486-based microcomputer and a commercially obtained low-cost counter/timer board with input/output lines for stimulus timing and external device control. A simple, yet versatile custom-designed structured programming language is provided for performing an unlimited number of stimulus configurations and their sequences. In electrophysiological studies, the system can be flexibly connected to computer-controlled signal conditioning systems for the amplification and filtering of multiunit and evoked field potential responses and to high-speed data acquisition systems for sampling and analyzing the responses. The costs of reserving an entire microcomputer for experiment control are well compensated for by the simplicity and efficiency of programming and transportability of the control protocols between different setups and laboratories. Furthermore, a data acquisition and analysis system most suitable for the aims of a research project can be selected.     

The PEPL system for control of experiments by a PDP-8 computer

PEPL (Psychology Experiment Programming Language) is a real-time, on-line experimental control system designed for a 4K PDP-8 computer with minimal additional hardware. The system, consisting of the PEPL language, a symbol table for standard DEC assemblers, and an operating system, is capable of asynchronous, timed control of multiple subjects or experiments. The language offers the user high-level instructions for execution control, computation, timing, and I/O control.     

A microcomputer interface for control of real-time experiments in cognitive psychology

A microcomputer system for real-time control of experiments in cognitive psychology is described. The microcomputer serves as an interface that allows a remote timesharing computer to control the timed display of textual material on CRTs and collect response times accurate to 1 msec. It can control two CRT subject stations presenting the same or different experiments and control other devices such as slide projectors and tape recorders. It is argued that such special-purpose microcomputer interfaces provide a real-time laboratory with significantly less effort than does the more traditional laboratory minicomputer.     

DEWEX: A system for designing and conducting Web-based experiments

DEWEX is a server-based environment for developing Web-based experiments. It provides many features for creating and running complex experimental designs on a local server. It is freeware and allows for both using default features, for which only text input is necessary, and easy configurations that can be set up by the experimenter. The tool also provides log files on the local server that can be interpreted and analyzed very easily. As an illustration of how DEWEX can be used, a recent study is presented that demonstrates the system’s most important features. This study investigated learning from multiple hypertext sources and shows the influences of task, source of information, and hypertext presentation format on the construction of mental representations of a hypertext about a historical event.     

A multiprocessor system for generating visual displays and controlling experiments

A laboratory is described that is based on an IMSAI 8080 microcomputer and an IMLAC graphics display system. Procedures for using the system are described and illustrated.     

ACPE: A computerized system for running small-group decision-making experiments

Small groups are called upon to make important policy decisions under a wide variety of procedural constraints. ACPE is a flexible, computerized system for conducting small-group voting experiments. It permits researchers to examine the impact of electronic communication on group deliberation and choice. The system runs under a variety of different personal computer networks and is designed to permit the specification of voting rules, communication, and group sizes. The system also facilitates the study of group process by tracking all messages sent and votes taken. An experiment in which the system was used is briefly described.     

A miniprocessor PDP8/e-based system for investigations of on-line language processing: Automated program for psycholinguistic experiments (APPLE)

An on-line reaction time program designed for psycholinguistics research implemented on a DEC PDP8/e minicomputer is described. Current applications include: phoneme monitor, click detection, lexical decision, and sentence verification experiments. This assembly language program (PAL8) displays alphanumeric texts on remoted oscilloscopes and records decision-dependent response times with 1-msec accuracy. The system allows for simultaneous testing of three subjects. It operates either according to internally generated timing or in synchrony with audio tape. Individuals with little or no computer background can develop and run experiments without difficulty.     

Running laboratory experiments using the RSX operating system and FORTRAN on the PDP-11

A system of FORTRAN-callable subroutines designed to facilitate running laboratories with the RSX operating system on a PDP-11 computer is presented. The subroutines include ones to give the FORTRAN programmer timing capability, better control of CRT input and output, control of a parallel-bit input and output interface, control of an analog-to-digital interface, and control of a digital-to-analog interface.