Keyboard response

The keyboard response construct is a container that can house one or more keys to record values and actions, and move the study forward.

Creating a keyboard response

Keyboard responses can be added to instructions, questionnaires and trials timelines. To add a keyboard response to a trials timeline, click New item. To add a keyboard response to instructions or questionnaires, click New response. Select Response - keyboard from the type list and select one of the following creation options:

New: create a new keyboard response.
Copy: copy another keyboard response from the current study.
Clone (from a different trial): clone another keyboard response (trials timeline only).

Editing keyboard response

If the keyboard response is on the trials timeline:

Click anywhere along its row (Figure 1) to open the editor.

Figure 1. Open construct editor (Psychstudio)

Figure 1. Open construct editor

If the keyboard response is not on the trials timeline (e.g. the keyboard is in a questionnaire or instructions):

Click Edit in the top left corner of the construct (Figure 2). To save your changes, click Save in the bottom right corner of the editor to save your changes.

Figure 2. Open construct editor (Psychstudio)

Figure 2. Open construct editor

Adding a key

In edit mode, click Add key in the key table, and then click Add when you're done.

Removing a key

In edit mode, click Delete on the key row you wish to remove.

WARNING: Deleting a key will also delete any trials rules related to that key.

Randomizing key values

If the keyboard response is on the trials timeline, key values can be randomized from those present. In edit mode, when two or more keys are present, you can randomize their values by selecting:

Randomize key/value assignment

For example, if we have two keys allocated where 'z' = true and 'm' = false, the truth values can be randomly assigned across 'z' and 'm'. Randomization is consistent across all trials, and can be made consistent across multiple trial procedures and multiple trial blocks via cloning.

Editing timing (trials timeline only)

In edit mode, the following properties can be set via the timing table:

Start mode
- Fixed: start time will be measured from the beginning of the trials timeline.
- Offset from previous item: start time will be measured from the end of the previous item on the trials timeline. If there is no previous item, or the timeout of the previous item is set to nil(infinite), then start time will be measured from the beginning of the trial.
Start time (ms): when to initiate construct.
Duration mode
- Fixed: duration will be a fixed time period.
- Random: duration will be a random time period bound by minimum and maximum values.
- Factor: duration will be a randomly chosen level from the factor selected.
- Level: duration will be set to the value of the chosen level.
Timeout (ms): duration of construct presence.