Modifying Target Categories

The next section of the IAT script contains the defintions of the target category labels and stimulus items. In this particular IAT, the targets are represented using images instead of text. Thus, the items refer to the names of image files to display instead of words:

<item targetAlabel>
/1 = "Flowers"
</item>

<item targeta>
/1 = "flower1.jpg"
/2 = "flower2.jpg"
/3 = "flower3.jpg"
/4 = "flower4.jpg"
/5 = "flower5.jpg"
/6 = "flower6.jpg"
/7 = "flower7.jpg"
/8 = "flower8.jpg"
</item>

<item targetBlabel>
/1 = "Insects"
</item>

<item targetb>
/1 = "insect1.jpg"
/2 = "insect2.jpg"
/3 = "insect3.jpg"
/4 = "insect4.jpg"
/5 = "insect5.jpg"
/6 = "insect6.jpg"
/7 = "insect7.jpg"
/8 = "insect8.jpg"
</item>

The labels are defined in <item targetAlabel> and <item targetBlabel>, and the stimulus items are defined in <item targetA> and <item targetB>. First, we'll change our target labels and stimuli for category A, Gryffindor, as follows:

<item targetAlabel>
/1 = "Gryffindor"
</item>

Next, we'll changes the image items. First, I must copy the image files you wish to use to the SAME FOLDER as the script file you are currently editing. If they aren't in the same folder, Inquisit Lab won't know where to find them and will show an error when you try to run the script. In this example, you can download 5 pictures representing Gryffindor and name them gryffindor1.jpg through gryffindor5.jpg. Note that the Inquisit IAT allows you to specify as many items as you wish, the number need not be 8.

<item targeta>
/1 = "gryffindor1.jpg"
/2 = "gryffindor2.jpg"
/3 = "gryffindor3.jpg"
/4 = "gryffindor4.jpg"
/5 = "gryffindor5.jpg"
</item>

Next we'll create change the label and stimuli for category B, Slytherin:

<item attributeBlabel>
/1 = "Slytherin"
</item>

<item attributeB>
/1 = "slytherin1.jpg"
/2 = "slytherin2.jpg"
/3 = "slytherin3.jpg"
/4 = "slytherin4.jpg"
/5 = "slytherin5.jpg"
/6 = "slytherin6.jpg"
/7 = "slytherin7.jpg"
/8 = "slytherin8.jpg"
</item>

If you're goal is to simply to adapt the IAT to a particular set of attributes and targets, I have good news. You're done! To run your IAT, just select the Run command on Inquisit's Experiment menu. Now go collect some data.

In the next section, we'll cover where task instructions for in the IAT are defined in case you need to modify the text or translate the instructions to another language.

Modifying Attribute Categories

Modifying Task Instructions