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Thread: Running different trials from the same .csv file

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    4

    Running different trials from the same .csv file

    Hi everyone,

    I've programmed this experiment where I want a trial to consist of a prime and a video file in DirectRT, and a subsequent custom item question in MediaLab. The experiment contains 128 trials, which I randomize by putting them into one big .que file, with between groups randomization keeping the DirectRT and MediaLab parts together.

    The custom item in MediaLab saves just fine. Except for the RT, but that's a different question (it keeps saying "ok" in the data file instead of giving an RT). My main question concerns the DirectRT data. The program seems to continually overwrite the stored response time of the previous trial with the current one, so that I end up with a file in which I only have the RT of the last trial. I guess it is a consequence of continually switching between MediaLab and DirectRT. I don't get any overwrite warnings (as I have seen mentioned elsewhere in the forums). Does anyone know of a a way (short of creating 128 different .que files) to have DirectRT store all of the RT's?

    If I can include or e-mail any files, please let me know in your response (the video stimuli make for a sizeable .zip file, so I'd rather not post it right away)

    Any advice is welcome.

    Cheers,


    Evert-Jan


    p.s.: I'm somewhat of a MediaLab noob, so be gentle if I'm missing something obvious

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    3,328
    Just so I'm clear--so are you calling the same DirectRT input file 128 times? If so, I assume then you are getting a single data file (e.g., 54.csv for subject 54) that has the data only from from the 128th execution of that file? i.e., it has a single line of data in it with the last RT (as opposed to 128 lines with the same RT). Yes? If so, then I'm afraid I don't see an easy solution here. Generally DirectRT sessions are not intended to be used for single trials in a sort of 'bounce back and forth from MediaLab' sort of way. Although you can do it, we haven't come up with a convenient way to accommodate the data organization from DirectRT when using this kind of experimental structure.

    Long story short is that in such a case, you can not repeatedly call the same input file from MediaLab for the same subject--it will be overwritten. This means you would need to make copies of the DirectRT input file and assign them different names (e.g., trial1.csv, trial2.csv, ad nauseum..). If you use and underscore before the unique part (e.g., trial_1.csv), you can at least get them all in the same data sub-folder (e.g., see 'an alternate method' in the data output overview of the users guide).
    Last edited by jarvis24; 01-09-2010 at 04:55 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    4
    Thanks for the extensive reply. You got the problem exactly right. To be honest, I was afraid I might have to resort to making separate input files and adapting the .que file when I spotted the problem for the first time. I guess that clarifies my workload for Monday... Again, thanks for thinking along on this one, and a big cheers should this become possible in a later version!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    4

    Additional problem

    Hi Blair,

    I did as suggested and changed the setup of the whole thing to separate files. However, DirectRT keeps overwriting data of trials that have been run earlier with the data from the last file.

    I've included a sample file with what I'm trying to do (with the exception that the actual thing is 128 trials long rather than 2). Any thoughts?

    Cheers,

    EJ

    This seems to be a similar problem: http://www.empirisoft.com/Support/sh...ht=overwriting
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by EJvanDoorn; 01-11-2010 at 10:54 AM.

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