MediaLab 幫助科技通及研究人員創作強大的電腦化實驗。針對Windows環境,MediaLab結合了智能實驗設計特點與今日強大的多媒體PC科技能力。
高度直觀且對使用者而言易於操作的介面,MediaLab配備了廣泛的交互式幫助文件,易於遵循的107頁手冊、樣本實驗以及簡單的教學,使你能夠馬上開始體驗,在15至20分鐘內,你將能啟動創建全功能的基本實驗。
簡單的調查?複雜的階乘設計?也沒問題
如果你已開始使用,你會知道當通用程式涉及實驗設計時,通常只有有限的靈活性。使用MediaLab,參與者可以管理不同的刺激及相關措施,並根據實驗條件採取不同順序。MediaLab允許多種方式,包括反應選擇題、空白填充題、簡答開放式答覆、思考與回憶列表,甚至是自己的開放端響應評級。MediaLab處理一切資料檔案,能夠立即在Excel或SPSS進行分析。
強大的多媒體能力
MediaLab從充滿基本和完全格式化的WORD檔、HTML、PowerPoint Shows到多媒體檔案,如audio, video 和 image檔這類的單獨或組合豐富的刺激(stimuli),皆允許呈現。如果MediaLab無法執行特定任務,在實驗過程中,它將會讓你選擇另行一個獨立的程序,並且回到原先停止之處。
系統需求
MediaLab runs great on pretty much all current PC systems runnning any current version of Windows (e.g., XP, Vista, Windows 7/10). At least 64 Mb of RAM is recommended, but additional memory can certainly boost perfomance when resource demands are high (e.g., when using an array of multi-media stimuli).
It is not necessary, but installing Microsoft Office on machines that will be running MediaLab, can add some impressive functionalit--e.g., allowing you to embed Word and PowerPoint documents in your experiment and to access the conditional logic and power of Excel for your experimental design.
With Microsoft's Internet Explorer installed, MediaLab can also give you the ability to embed local and internet web pages within your experiment. This means that anything now on the web or anything that could be put on the web can easily be dropped into your experiment.
Finally, a spreadsheet application such as Excel or SPSS is required to view some of the data files produced by MediaLab but this may be done on any machine.
General Features
- Define as many experimental conditions as you like (great for factorial designs).
- Flexible randomization features.
- Randomize items within a single group.
- Randomize the order that groups of items are presented.
- Randomization routines at both the experiment level and within questionnaires.
- Embed your own or third-party programs (DOS, Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 and later) within an experiment or questionnaire.
- Run DirectRT or Inquisit sessions from within your MediaLab experiment.
- Create multiple custom preference settings with choices of fonts and display colours.
- Context sensitive help such that pressing F1 at any time will help you with what you are currently doing.
- Option of on-the-fly editing of Word and WordPerfect documents-edit them as you run through your experiment.
- Resolution independent-compatible with screen displays from 640x480 to 1600x1200.
- Easy-to-use intuitive interface--no programming code necessary.
- Now compatible with non-english fonts (e.g., Japanese, Chinese, Arabic).
- Customize all messages and/or translate into any language.
- Optionally run experiments from a CD-ROM or Server on LAN.
Flexible Questionnaire Design
- Scale responses with up to 12 closed ended responses.
- Multiple response (select all that apply) responses.
- Fill-in-the blank responses (free or restricted).
- Essay-type responses.
- Thought listings and recall listings.
- Have subjects rate their own thought-listing responses on any dimension.
- Easy text-based instructions for any question.
- Present html pages with active hyperlinks. MediaLab uses the Intenet Explorer browsing engine so you can display anything that Explorer can.
- Track browsing behaviour as subjects navigate through local html files or the world wide web.
- Track every link the subject follows and record when they arrived and how long they stayed.
- Easily present Microsoft Word or any other OLE compatible documents for more elaborate formatting.
- Easily embed Microsoft PowerPoint shows within your experiment or questionnaire(s).
- Gather on-line continuous rating data during audio and video clips.
- Skip pattern capability when a particular closed ended response is given.
- Questionnaire items can be omitted in specified conditions.
- Easily modify and re-use your questionnaires in other experiments.
- Option of self-paced or time-limited responses.
- Allow subjects to return to previous questions if necessary.
- Embed subjects' responses in subsequent question wordings.
- Create multiple style configurations (e.g., colours and fonts) for use within the same experiment or questionnaire.
Multi-Media
- Present graphics (.bmp, .jpg, and .gif).
- Present sound files (.wav, .mp3.)
- Present video (.avi, .mpg, .mov.)
- Present combinations of graphics, sound, video and questionnaire items.
- Present html, flash, java, asp and any other browser compatible files.
- Optional parameters allow you to set the screen location of images and movies as well as set.
- Optional parameters allow you to set the screen location of images and movies as well as set the size of video clips all the way up to full screen.
Data
- Writes data to an easy-to-analyze ASCII file.
- Your choice of which variables to write to the data file.
- Writes all data into a single file that can be imported straight into Excel (up to 255 variables) or SPSS (unlimited variables). Variable definitions are written automatically, so you can start analyzing your results immediately.
- Two sets of data files are produced, one organized by questionnaires, the other by variable names.
- Includes a utility to easily merge data files collected on different computers.
- Optionally write reaction time for any response to the data file.
- Optionally write data from multiple computers to a single folder on your network.
你是否有測量任務,其RTs平均不到1000ms?你是否有促進因素開始及演示時間,在嚴重時刻表述時,是以毫秒為單位,而非以秒為單位?你是否對"blocks of trials"概念感到舒服?若是如此,那麼你已來對地方-DirectRT可大大簡化你的生活!
功能強大且易於使用
有了DirectRT,你可以快速且輕鬆地創建需要精確時間點的反應時間任務。你將能夠輕鬆地透過鍵盤、鼠標、遊戲搖桿、麥克風以及外部硬體,來獲得準確的高速響應輸入。以嚴格的精確度呈現聲音、視頻、圖像以及文本。你會驚訝於DirectRT讓一切變的容易。
Windows可容納精確度
傳統上,Windows對於精確控制事件時間點而言,已成為一個非常混亂的環境。Microsoft的DirectX發展已改變了這一切針對心理學研究的方式。 基於程式的DirectX現在可以處理圖像與聲音,並且在毫秒間監控輸入活動, DirectRT 是100%的 DirectX。
DirectRT配備了大量的線上幫助文件,易於遵循的100頁手冊,以及超過40個樣本的線上教學,能夠說明簡單且先進的技術。使用Microsoft Excel做為編輯器,你可以很快創建、複製、黏貼及修改試驗。雖然 Empirisoft現在提供毫秒級精確的鍵盤及按鈕盒(button boxes),DirectRT也可以成功地與大部分第三方外部硬體共同使用。即使有一個標準的USB鍵盤、serial 滑鼠、操縱桿或音效卡麥克風,錯誤率仍是非常低的。結果是,DirectRT將有助於減少和大部分硬體有關的時間誤差。
系統需求
DirectRT will not run on Windows NT because NT does not support DirectX beyond version 4 (7 or later is required).
It is strongly recommended that systems running DirectRT have at least 256mb of memory, a graphics card with at least 16mb of video memory and a processor speed of at least 500mhz. The log files that DirectRT produces will show you whether or not any computer in question can handle your experimental design.
Finally, it is also necessary to have a spreadsheet application installed (e.g., Excel) if you plan to edit or view the DirectRT input and output files on that machine-or if you plan to try the DirectRT on-line tutorials. All input and output files are created and saved in .CSV format which is editable from any standard spreadsheet application.
Note that this package for DirectRT v2018 is compatible with most hardware configurations using Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7/8/10.
General Features and Response Times
- Timing resolution of 1 millisecond.
- Response timing is synchronized with the screen display so timing always begins when the screen first begins to draw (eliminates 10-17 milliseconds of random error).
- Works with Windows to pause all other system events while timing is taking place. With everything else put on hold, the highest processing priority possible is given to DirectRT during the critical time intervals on each trial.
- Uses Microsoft’s DirectX to gain the fastest access possible to input events from the keyboard, mouse, joystick and soundcard.
- Optionally define minimum and maximum response times and deliver custom message screens for each when violated.
- Collect multiple response times on a single trial.
- Collect key release response times in addition to key press times.
- Define valid keys for any response.
- Define 'correct' key for any response.
- Optionally require a correct response (see the IAT sample).
Input Options
- Keyboard, mouse, and joystick input for single keypress or button responses.
- Short open ended (fill-in-the-blank) responses.
- Voice responses via microphone connected to your soundcard (ask us about a test you can do to see if your sound card can handle it).
- Option of saving voice responses as wav files on your hard drive.
- Continuous joystick motion.
- TTL signals can be read from a defined port to gather data from external equipment.
Stimulus Presentation
- Create as many different displays as you need for any given trial.
- Play sound files.
- Can handle multiple simultaneous and/or sequential sound files, with control over left/right panning and frequency (Hz). Easily synchronized with visual stimuli.
- Send precisely synchronized TTL signals to communicate with external equipment (e.g., another computer controlling physiological equipment).
- Present subject's own responses to open ended questions as stimuli in the same session.
- Easily create full screens of instructions with formatted text.
- Create multiple style settings with choices of fonts and display colors.
- Present full colour graphics that can be as large as full screen and in any resolution from 640x480 to 1024x768.
- Present multiple images and/or text in succession or simultaneously.
- Superimpose custom graphics you make (e.g., special rating scales) over any other image or text. Great for pretesting and rating visual stimuli.
- Capture screens from Microsoft PowerPoint and other presentation software and present them as stimulus or instruction screens in your experiment.
- Precisely locate images and text with flexible and easy to use alignment options.
- Display of stimulus screens is synchronized with the monitor’s refresh rate resulting in highly controlled presentation rates.
- Enter stimulus presentation times in milliseconds. DirectRT will determine the screen refresh rate and will present the stimulus for the number of screen refreshes that will comes closest to your specified interval. All actual display times are written to a log file for each session.
Randomization and Trial Structure
- Randomize trials within a single block.
- Randomize the order that blocks of trials are presented.
- Randomly select which items from a set are presented.
- Extremely flexible trial design which can change from one trial to the next.
- Define stimuli directly in the input file or refer to stimulus lists.
- Access stimuli from lists sequentially, randomly, or randomly without replacement.
- Create scale responses and multiple choice questions in any format.
- Skip pattern capability when a particular key is pressed on any trial.
- Jump capability -Depending on which key is pressed you can have DirectRT jump to different events (e.g., such as a feedback sequence) and then resume where it left off.
- Option of self-paced or time-limited responses.
- Repeat trials for which stimuli were randomly selected at run-time.
Display
- Create scale responses and multiple choice questions in any format.
- Easily create full screens of instructions with formatted text.
- Present full colour graphics that can be as large as full screen in any resolution from 640x480 to 1600x1200 and beyond.
- Present multiple images and/or text in succession or simultaneously.
- Superimpose custom graphics you make (e.g., special rating scales) over any other image or text. Great for pretesting and rating visual stimuli.
- Capture screens from Microsoft PowerPoint and other presentation software and present them as stimulus or instruction screens in your experiment.
- Precisely locate images and text with flexible and easy to use alignment options.
- Create multiple style settings with choices of fonts and display colors .
Data
- Writes data to an easy-to-analyze ASCII file.
- Add optional variables to the data file that identify within subject trial conditions-makes for much easier analysis.
- Writes all data into a single file that can be imported straight into Excel or SPSS.
- Includes a utility to easily merge data files collected on different computers.
- Produces two data files per run-one that is simplified and easy to use for most purposes and a more detailed ‘log’ version that records everything including actual stimulus presentation times so you can ensure that your system is capable of achieving the timing you need.
Other Features
- Easily modify and re-use your input files experiments.
- You don’t have to learn a new editor! Do everything from your favourite spreadsheet application (e.g., Excel, Lotus, Quattro). If you know how to use one of these, then you already know how to edit DirectRT input files.
- Also works great in combination with MediaLab. Just drop a DirectRT session into any MediaLab questionnaire. MediaLab will ask DirectRT to execute the session and will pass along the current subject and condition IDs. When DirectRT is finished, MediaLab will resume where it left off. This is a great way to assign multiple DirectRT input files as a function of between subject factors.
- Runs easily from a command line prompt so you can call the session and execute it seamlessly from your within own programs. You would never know you left your own program.
- Context sensitive help such that pressing F1 at any time will help you with what you are currently doing.
- Easy-to-use intuitive interface--no programming code necessary.
- Resolution independent: compatible with screen displays from 640x480 to 1024x768.