How to create an interval scale

SuperLab SuperLab 4 Support
1

Hi,

I need to create a 5-point interval scale appearing on the computer screen so that participants can respond by just clicking on one of 5 value point by using mouse. Can any of you can show me how to do that step by step? Also, I have created other different participant inputs for some events. Is there a way to separate this type of participant input from others? Thank you very much.

2

To create on-screen responses, you need to enable the Mouse or Touch Screen input device. Two responses are created by default, which you may want to delete. You can then create five responses, one for each point on the scale. It will take a few minutes of trial and error but it’s fairly easy.

Tip 1: in the Participant Input dialog, there is a Preview button that will display in blue the areas that you define as a response.

Tip 2: in the Event Editor, when you preview a visual event like Picture File or Text, SuperLab will also display the areas that that you define as a response. This helps in aligning stimuli to response areas.

Hisham.

3

how to create interval scales

I guess I did not address my problem clearly. I want to create a 5-point on-screen scale. Specifically, on the same dialog, below a line of a statement, there will be five choices in a row, from “1” to “5,” and below these number choices, there will be two words, “negative” and “positive,” as interpretations of two extremes, “1” and “5.” This is pretty much like those online surveys. Therefore, there will a total of 3 lines, statement, number choices, and word interpretations. I can create the statement as an event, but I don’t know how to create these number choices and word interpretations and connect them to participant inputs. Could you please give me detailed instructions? Thank you very much!!!

4

Can you post a sample experiment that displays the scale, or even just a picture file? I’ll then taylor my response to that scale (it’ll be easier for me to show you how).

5

sample test

Hi Hisham,

I have attached a sample test experiment with this posting. The problems I have so far are:

  1. I set up “After any response from the participant” as the participant input for instruction 1,2 and 3. It worked, but when I set up other participant inputs for other events, it does not work anymore. I cannot find out what the problem is;
  2. I don’t know how to create on-screen interval scales for the events “Importance questionnaire,” (which I want to put on the same screen), “Brand evaluation,” and “Purchase behavior.” That’s why I just made them just look like those in online surveys only for you to understand what I want to do. There also should be check circles below these numbers (1-5).
  3. I set “y” or “n” key as participant input for the event “Statements for attitude expression,” but I’m not sure if it is correct since I couldn’t test it.
  4. The event “Statements for attitude expression” was created as a stimulus list. Specifically, there are 8 items on the list. How do I fix the item appearance order of the first 4 items and randomize the rest 4 items.

I’m desperate now. Please help!
Thank you so much!!!

Sample test.sl4 (16.3 KB)

6

Hi,

I looked at your experiment. I wasn’t even able to get past the instructions screen. I found the problem is that you have turned On the following two options:

For input Keyboard-Single Keys
Only if an event designates a single key response as correct

For input Keyboard-String Input
Only if an event designates a string input as correct

If you turn both of these options on, then for every event you must tell SuperLab what is the correct response. If you don’t, SuperLab will not know which input device to keep an eye on.

My recommendation: turn that option on only for string input.

Regarding the “Importance questionnaire”, SuperLab cannot display multiple scales on the screen at the same time. It is not questionnaire oriented. But you can do one question at a time using a scale.

  1. The event “Statements for attitude expression” was created as a stimulus list. Specifically, there are 8 items on the list. How do I fix the item appearance order of the first 4 items and randomize the rest 4 items.

It would be best to break the list into two lists, and have one set of block/trial/event that uses each list. Then, you can just edit the second block and turn the Randomize option On.

I hope this helps,

Hisham.