Sentence Completion Task

Technical Manual

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 09, 2013

Last Modified: January 13, 2024 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a Sentence Completion Task (SCT). SCT are general instruments to study information processing and can be used to study - amongst others- cognitive priming effects, semantic bias, and autobiographical memory.

The implemented procedure uses the study of autobiographical memory as an example. It is based on:

Raes, F., Hermans, D., Williams, J.M.G. & Eelen, P. (2007). A sentence completion procedure as an alternative to the Autobiographical Memory Test for assessing overgeneral memory in non-clinical populations. Memory, 15, 495-507.

Duration

7 minutes

Description

Participants are given 11 sentence completion tasks (11 Stems) to complete. Afterwards they are asked to categorize their own responses into several categories.

Procedure

2 surveys:
SentenceCompletionTask: 11 sentence completion task with default Stems (see section Editable Parameters)
Ratings (optional): Participant categorization of the responses

Instructions

see section Editable Parameters

Raw Data

File Name: sentencecompletiontask_survey.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
date Date the session was run
time Time the session was run
subject, group, session With the current subject/groupnumber/session id
build Inquisit version number
q*_response Response given
q*_latency How much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveyPage with this particular question (the last time this particular surveyPage was visited)
(2) Raw data file: 'sentencecompletiontask_rating_survey.iqdat'
date Date the session was run
time Time the session was run
subject, group, session With the current subject/groupnumber/session id
build Inquisit version number
q*_response Response given (in assigned values: 1-8)
q*_latency How much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveyPage with this particular question (the last time this particular surveyPage was visited)
(3) Summary data file: 'sentencecompletiontask_summary*.iqdat'
inquisit.version Inquisit version number
computer.platform Device platform: win | mac |ios | android
startDate Date the session was run
startTime Time the session was run
subjectId Participant ID
groupId Group number
sessionId Session number
elapsedTime Session duration in ms
completed 0 = Test was not completed
1 = Test was completed
textbox.stem11.response The responses to the 11 Stem qu
radioButtons.rating1.response-
radioButtons.rating11.response The individual ratings (1-8)

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.

NameDescriptionDefault
stem1:-stem11 The particular Stems used in this script
instructions The instructions to appear with the Stem questions
participantResponseRating 1 = participants are asked to categorize their sentences (default)
to change the response categories go to RATING QUESTIONS
and change the setting OPTIONS for each question
0 = participants are not asked to categorize their sentences