Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 03, 2014
Last Modified: January 17, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This Inquisit script implements a template to run Linguistic Acceptability Judgments (LAJ). LAJ take advantage of techniques used in psychophysics and provide a method to make linguistic judgments consistent and replicable.
Bard, E. G., Robertson, D., & Sorace, A. (1996). Magnitude Estimation of Linguistic Acceptability. Language, 72(1), 32–68. https://doi.org/10.2307/416793
2 minutes
Participants are asked to evaluate linguistic target sentences either on Likert scales (conventional) or/and by Magnitude Estimations (ME) (psychophysics).
The sentences are presented visually.
Likert Method:
• each likert trial presents a randomly selected target sentence (random selection without replacement)
with a 5 point Likert scale and the following anchors: "extremely unnatural" to "extremely natural"
=> to change number of anchors and anchors go to TRIALS -> likert.LAJ_likert and follow
further instructions
• the Likert Method runs as many trials as specified under parameters.nr_judgments (editable parameter)
Magnitude Estimation
• each magnitude estimations presents the baseline sentence and a randomly selected target sentence
(random selection without replacement)
as well as a textbox to collect the judgments
• the Magnitude Estimation Method runs as many judgments as specified under parameters.nr_judgments
(editable parameter)
• the baseline sentence for Magnitude Estimations can be set under
section Editable Stimuli-> item.ME_baselineSentence
• the target sentences can be set under section Editable Stimuli -> item.target_sentences
(also set parameters.nr_judgments under Editable Parameters)
• instructions can be edited under section Editable Instructions
=> LIKERT: item.likertInstructions
=> MAGNITUDE ESTIMATIONS:
a) item.meInstructions
b) page.mePractice & page.meTest
File Name: linguisticacceptabilityjudgments_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| startdate | Date script was run |
| starttime | Time script was started |
| subjectid | Assigned subject id number |
| groupid | Assigned group id number |
| sessionid | Assigned session id number |
| elapsedTime | Session duration in ms |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
File Name: linguisticacceptabilityjudgments_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file.. |
| judgmentType | "Likert" vs. "Magnitude Estimation" |
| countJudgments | Number of judgments made in a block |
| stimulus | Contains the current stimulus (for practice lines: the relative length of the target line) |
| response | The participant's response (depends on task) |
| logMEJudgments | Log transform of the magnitude judgment (if applicable) |
| latency | The response latency in ms |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| likertMethod | True = Likert Acceptability Method is run (default) false = Likert Acceptability Method is NOT run | true |
| magnitudeEstimation | True = Magnitude Estimation Acceptability Method is run (default) false = Magnitude Estimation Acceptability Method is NOT run | true |
| nrJudgments | Specifies the number of judgments to be made | 4 |
| fontSizeStimulus | Sets the size of the stimulus in percentage of screen height | 5% |
| baselineLineLength | The baseline line length in screen height proportion for ME practice | 25% |