Can data in the questionorder.xls be used as var. in custom item?

[samjacks7986]

Howdy,

Suppose I want to have subjects complete 4 decision-scenarios in a random order (they look at a 2-row table, with school A on top, B on botton, and the columns are different factors, such as faculty:student ratio, etc.)

1. I'm using html files as custom items to present the instructions, table, and questions with radio buttons simultaneously, but I'd like if for the first scenario presented, the two schools could be labeled A and B, the second, C and D, etc. (there are 4 pairs of schools, presented in rand. order), and ideally, labled like that within the table.

2. In addition, I want the first pair selected randomly to be titled "scenario 1", the second pair titled "scne. 2", etc.

3. Further, it would be tremendous if for each scenario, it is random which school in the pair is presented on the top row of the table, though this wouldn't change the "a" and "b", or "c" and "d" labels (a and c are whichever schools are on top).

I can't figure this out at all; my only thought is I could use a value from the questionorder.cvs to automatically assign the "a", "b", "c" (etc.) school labels and the "scenario 1", "scenario 2" (etc.) labels to items that assume the relevant positions after randomization.

Further, after they are done with all four scenarios, there are two follow-up questions that are answered for each scenario.

For the follow-up questions, the presentation-order of the scenarios should be the same within subjects (i.e. subj. 1 does scen. 1, 3, 4, then 2, so s/he should answer the follow-up questions for scen. 1 first, then 3, then 4, then 2).

In addition, the tables within each scenario must look exactly as they did the first time (if a scenario containing school #3 (on top row) and #4 (on bottom) was orignally presented first, they must see this same scenario first again for the follow-up questions, and 3 still needs to be on top, and thus, labled "a"...it would be labled "c" if it were on the top row in the scenario presented 2nd).

I'm really stuck on this: the HTMl custom stuff helps a lot, but there doesn't seem to be a way to embed a variable for the actual presentation-order position of an item into a custom item that exists within the same experiment, or que file.

Any suggestions? I attached a .doc draft of one of the scenarios, as well as an htm version.

Thanks!!!

[jarvis24]

See http://www.empirisoft.com/support/showthread.php?t=2388