Record data without "enter" press, using Fill-in-the-blank? (case 8121)

I am working with a Fill-in-the-blank item to collect data from participants.
Participants are have only restricted time to give their answer. I use parameter d15 in the experiment file to archieve that. Besides that, I use a html file as background item, to show an on-screen countdown timer.
So far, this works fine.
The problem is, that participants have to press "enter" or to click "continue", else their input is not recorded. But I want to archieve, that their input will be collected, even if they miss to hit enter within the countdown time.
Is this possible with a Fill-in-the-blank item?
Or does it only work with a custom item?

Thankful for any help.

Hi Banyan,

Have you had problems with data not recording when the time runs out for this fill in the blank item? If you just want the fill in the blank item to automatically continue on its own, try using the d15 parameter in the questionnaire file instead of the experiment file.

Hi Jason, thanks for your answer.

I am not sure anymore, why I decided to use the d15 parameter in the experiment file, and not the in the questionaire file, (I think one reason was, that I want participants to inform with a prompting message that they had ran out of time, before they move on with the next item), but changing it does not solve the problem.

Maybe to be more exact:
If a participant gives an answer within the time (d15) in the fill-in-the blank item, I want that answer to be saved in the data file, even if the participants misses to hit enter within time.

So if a participant for example types in "5", I want that to be recorded, even if he makes the mistake not to press "enter" within the specified time.

Right now, I only get the "99" in the data file, for typed-in-numbers, which are not confirmed by pressing "enter" or by clicking "continue"

Banyan,

Can you please upload your original file to this thread? I'd like to take a look at the situation that was causing the data to not be recorded.

Thanks!

Jason

I have a same question.
I also want to know how to record the data using fill-in-the-blank without pressing "enter".

For example, when participants enter just one digit in blank (because all answers are 1 to 4), it automatically turn to next question on its own. And if they do not type any number, just wait until they answer (not continue on next step).

So I think that using "d" parameter would not be proper.

I'd appreciate if you help me.

Hi soohyun1110.

For what you want to do, the best option might be to use a Custom item. Basically, you would have to use HTML code to create the fill in the blank item. MediaLab comes with sample code that you can try out and modify; take a look at the Custom Items section of the MediaLab manual for more information and where to find the examples in the Samples folder that came with the installation of MediaLab: [url]http://www.empirisoft.com/medialab/help/custom_items.htm[/url].

The tricky part would be that you would have to modify the existing HTML code in some way to record whatever participants type in the box and then automatically move on to the next item. I don't have any suggestions about how to accomplish this off the top of my head, but if you think that the Custom Item option is one you wish to explore, I'd be happy to help you to the best of my abilities.