ils-labs-dev

ils-labs-dev

Experiments

Head-Turn Preference Procedure

  • Client(s): Maartje de Klerk
  • Author(s): Chris van Run, Theo Veenker
  • Download link

Description

Purpose of this ZEP-based experiment is to see whether an infant participant
can detect a difference between two types of auditory stimuli. The
infant sits on the caregiver lap facing a wall on which a green
light, an invisible speaker and a camera is mounted. On each side
wall a red light (or other visual stimuli) and an invisible speaker are mounted.
In this implementation there is a familiarization phase and a test phase.

For each trial in the test phase the infant’s attention is drawn to
one the side lights (blinking). When the infant looks at the blinking
light a sequence of sound stimuli starts and a timer runs as long
as the infant keeps looking at the blinking light. The trial ends
when the infant looks away too long (or when a particular number of
stimuli have been presented). In the familiarization phase that
precedes the test phase a similar contingency procedure is used but
only for the lights; the sound stimuli once started continue until
all have been presented.

 

Please refer to the README.md for details!

Installation instructions

To run the experiment you need the Zep experiment control application. At the ILS Labs this is already installed on all systems. To install Zep at home or on your personal laptop go to this link and follow instructions there.

To install this experiment:

  1. Download the experiment from this link
  2. Extract the .zip-file into a target folder (any location will do).
  3. This will produce an experiment folder under the target folder.
  4. Read the readme that comes with the experiment.
  5. Open the console application (under Windows click windows-terminal.bat, under Linux click linux-terminal.sh) and type the following command:zep headturn.zp
    In this command headturn.zp represents the name of the experiment you wish to run.

Attention!

This experiment script comes with absolutely no warranty. It is your responsibility to pilot test the script and analyze the results before using the script for your research. Be sure to know what the adjustable parameters of the script mean and check whether the script presents stimuli and records responses exactly as you want it to. If necessary, ask the author of the script to explain the things you do not yet understand.