Overview
The SlideChoice sub-object may be added to a Slide object to allow presentation of a variety of survey-type stimuli (e.g., Likert scale, multiple choice/multiple selection/bipolar questionnaires). The SlideChoice sub-object permits single or multiple response input, and offers a variety of options for layout.
When an input mask is enabled on the parent object (i.e., Slide or FeedbackDisplay), the SlideChoice sub-object may be used as a response input option (i.e., like the keyboard or the mouse). See the General tab section in E-STUDIO: Slide Object [22701] for information pertaining to specifying a SlideChoice sub-object as an Input Source, and the Response input and Logging sections below for additional information).
The property pages for the SlideChoice sub-object permit the configuration of the size and appearance of the sub-object on the parent object.
General
The General tab within the SlideChoice Property Pages allows configuration of the contents of the SlideChoice sub-object, as well as properties related to response input.
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Name |
String values |
Defines the string by which the sub-object is identified. Refer to E-STUDIO: E-Objects [22697] for naming restrictions. |
Rows |
Integer values (1-50), Attribute values |
Specifies the number of rows to be used to display choice stimuli. |
Columns |
Integer values (1-50), Attribute values |
Specifies the number of columns to be used to display choice stimuli. |
Layout |
Left, Top, Right, Bottom, Attribute values |
Specifies the location of the selection element associated with each item (see examples below). |
Display Order |
BottomTopLeftRight, BottomTopRightLeft, LeftRightBottomTop, LeftRightTopBottom, RightLeftBottomTop, RightLeftTopBottom, TopBottomLeftRight, TopBottomRightLeft, Attribute values |
Specifies the order by which the items are placed in rows and/or columns (see examples below).
If only a single column is specified, the horizontal direction (i.e., LeftRight or RightLeft) is ignored. If only a single row is specified, the vertical direction (i.e., TopBottom, or BottomTop) is ignored. |
RESP Source |
Value, Label, DataTag, Ordinal, Attribute values |
Specifies the property value to be logged in the RESP measure in the data file according to the corresponding value in the Items table (see Items section below). Used for calculation of accuracy. |
Accuracy Mode |
Any, All, Attribute values |
Specifies whether ANY or ALL of the options are required to be selected for a response to be considered to be correct. The IncludeACC setting for each item within the Items table is evaluated to determine accuracy. · When Accuracy Mode is set to ANY, selection of any single item with an IncludeACC value = Yes results in the logging of the response as accurate. · When Accuracy Mode is set to ALL, all items having an IncludeACC value = Yes must be selected for the response to be logged as accurate.
Note: If no items are selected, ACC will always evaluate to incorrect (i.e., 0). |
Default Value |
Integer values (1-50), Attribute values |
Specifies an item to appear as pre-selected at runtime. This value will be logged as the response if input is not collected (e.g., the answer is not modified prior to input mask termination). By default, the Default Value is blank.
If multiple selection is enabled (see Single Selection below), multiple default values may be specified using the pipe character (|) as the separator (e.g., "1|3"). |
Single Selection |
Yes, No, Attribute values |
Specifies whether a single response or multiple responses will be accepted during response collection. “Yes” indicates single selection is active; “No” permits multiple selection.
If single selection is set, the logged value will indicate the value chosen last, or an empty string if no value is chosen.
If multiple selection is permitted, the logged value will indicate a string of all items chosen, separated by the | character. Items appear from left to right in the order they are positioned, based on ordinal value (i.e., not selection order). If desired, selection order may be obtained through user-written script. |
Items |
String values, Attribute values |
Defines the values to be displayed by the sub-object as selection options (see Items section below). |
Items
The Items table provides an interface for the entry of elements to be displayed by the SlideChoice sub-object. When a value is specified for Rows and/or Columns, rows are automatically generated within the table equal to Rows x Columns (e.g., the image below illustrates the generation of 6 rows within the Items table as a result of the value of Rows multiplied by the value of Columns).
Values within the Items table allow definition of the choice elements to be presented.
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Ordinal |
System assigned, may not be modified |
Value representing the position of the item within the complete list of items. |
Value |
String values, Attribute values |
User-entered string to be logged in the data file as the Value attribute associated with the SlideChoice sub-object (e.g., Object.Choice.Value).
A value must be entered into the Value field to indicate that the item is to be included in the selection options. If no value is entered, the item will not be included. |
Label |
String values, Attribute values, (hide label), (hide item) |
Optional user-entered string to be presented as the text label for the choice element. Logged in the data file as the Value attribute associated with the SlideChoice sub-object (e.g., Object.Choice.ValueLabel).
The Label or entire item may be hidden at runtime through selection of (hide label) or (hide item), respectively, from the dropdown within the Label field. These options permit in labelling and layout of options (see examples below).
Note, if using attributes, specify an empty string to represent (hide label), and specify !invisible! to represent (hide item). |
ImageFilename |
String values, Attribute values, Filenames including @Resources |
Optional image file to be presented as the label for the item.
See INFO: Use / for path separation for E-Objects with filename property [16554] for information pertaining to specification of file location. See E-STUDIO: SlideButton Sub-Object [23598] for information pertaining to use of the @Resources notation. |
DataTag |
String values, Attribute values |
Optional user-entered text to be logged in the data file as the DataTag attribute associated with the SlideChoice sub-object (e.g., Object.Choice.ValueDataTag).
A Tag value is simply additional information to log with a specific item. |
IncludeACC |
No, Yes, Attribute values |
Boolean value indicating whether or not the individual item should be considered when assessing accuracy. |
Adding/Removing/Modifying Items
The number of rows within the Items table is automatically determined as the product of the values assigned to the Rows and Columns fields. The order (i.e., Ordinal value) of the individual rows within the table may be modified by selecting the desired row, and pressing the Move Up or Move Down buttons.
If the product of the Rows and Columns values is less than the total number of rows, the rows appearing in excess of the product appear grayed-out to visually indicate that these items will not appear at runtime. This permits flexibility in design, and permits entry of items to be retained while not in use. If desired, unused rows may be removed from the table by selecting a row, and pressing the Remove button.
Examples
The examples below illustrate the results of the options associated with various properties.
Layout property options
Layout options indicate the alignment of the Label/image and the selector per item.
Left |
Top |
Right |
Bottom |
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Display Order property options
The Display Order options identify the order and direction of arrangement for the items in terms of their Ordinal values. A subset of the Display Order options are pictured below. Note: all of the examples assume Rows=3, Columns=2, and Layout=Left.
Option |
Order |
Result |
TopBottomLeftRight |
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TopBottomRightLeft |
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BottomTopLeftRight |
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BottomTopRightLeft |
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LeftRightTopBottom |
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LeftRightBottomTop |
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RightLeftTopBottom |
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RightLeftBottomTop |
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Label Options
The examples below illustrate use of Label options to present various display configurations. Note: when using attribute values, specify an empty string ("") to represent (hide label), and specify "!invisible!" to represent (hide item).
Option |
Description |
Example Uses |
(hide label) |
Equivalent to entering an empty string as the label, resulting in no text label being shown. This option may be selected from the dropdown associated with the field, or by deleting any existing text in the field. The selector will still appear when a label is hidden. |
Using images as labels/selectable items
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(hide item) |
Prevents the display of the specific item within the list of choices, but maintains spacing. This option may be selected from the dropdown associated with the field, or by typing “!invisible!” directly into the field. |
Custom configurations (e.g., compass layout using a 3x3 Rows/Columns configuration):
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Frame
The Frame tab is used by the SlideChoice sub-object to define a rectangular area on the parent display area (e.g., SlideState) as the display area for the sub-object.
The rectangular area defined by the properties is referred to as a “Frame.” Refer to E-STUDIO: Frame [22716] for more information concerning Frames. Note that there are separate Frame properties for a SlideButton sub-object, the SlideState on which it resides, and the parent Slide object that houses both of them. Be careful to select the appropriate element for which you wish to configure the Frame.
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Width |
Numeric values in pixels (e.g., "10"), Relative values (e.g., 10%), Attribute references |
Sets the width of the display area (frame) of the SlideChoice sub-object to a percentage value relative to the size of the SlideState, or to a fixed pixel size. |
Height |
Numeric values in pixels (e.g., "10"), Relative values (e.g., 10%), Attribute references |
Sets the Height of the display area (frame) of the SlideChoice sub-object to a percentage value relative to the size of the SlideState, or to a fixed pixel size. |
X |
Numeric values in pixels (e.g., "10"), Relative values (e.g., 10%), Attribute references |
Sets the anchor position of the frame along the horizontal axis. |
Y |
Numeric values in pixels (e.g., "10"), Relative values (e.g., 10%), Attribute references |
Sets the anchor position of the frame along the vertical axis. |
XAlign |
left, center, right, Attribute references |
Determines the horizontal positioning of the defined frame in relation to the X and Y anchor position. |
YAlign |
top, center. Bottom, Attribute references |
Determines the vertical positioning of the defined frame in relation to the X and Y anchor position. |
Appearance
The appearance tab permits the overall formatting of the SlideChoice sub-object, as well as individual selection items. Like the SlideButton sub-object from which it is derived, the properties of the SlideChoice sub-object are based on a theme, or a collection of settings. This collection of settings is accessible via the Appearance tab within the SlideChoice property pages.
Choice
The Choice fields permit modification of the properties pertaining to the visual appearance of the SlideChoice sub-object.
Parent Theme
Properties are, by default, inherited from a parent theme, which may be edited using the Theme Editor (see E-STUDIO: Theme Editor [23585]). When editing the parent theme, modifications will apply to all SlideChoice sub-objects within the experiment (e.g., modifying the BaseChoice Parent Theme to apply a border will result in a border being applied to all SlideChoice sub-objects within the experiment).
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Parent Theme |
BaseChoice, BaseButton, BaseSlider, any user-defined custom themes |
Predefined templates including default settings for specific sub-object types. |
While all properties are accessible within the parent theme, a few frequently used properties (see table below) are displayed, as a convenience, under the Parent Theme field to allow override without affecting the parent theme.
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Back Color |
Color value (RGB values), Specific color strings (e.g., black, maroon, lime), Attribute references, inherit |
Specifies the solid background color on which to display the text characters (functionality depends on BackStyle property).
Note, if using attributes, specify an empty string to represent (hide label), and specify !invisible! to represent (hide item). |
Back Style |
(inherit), opaque, transparent,Attribute references |
Defines the style of the background on which the text is displayed.
Note, if using attributes, specify an empty string to represent (hide label), and specify !invisible! to represent (hide item). |
When a property is set to “(inherit),” the value is inherited from the parent theme, and the actual value that is inherited is displayed in the field as the property value. For example, in the image below, the Back Color “white” is inherited from the Base Slider Parent Theme. When set to “(inherit),” the field displays “white.”
If a value is entered to deviate from the parent theme, the value will appear in bold font type to visually indicate that it differs from the parent theme. In the image below, the Back Color of “green deviates from the Parent Theme, and appears in bold.
Item
The Item fields permit modification of the properties pertaining to the visual appearance of items displayed by the SlideChoice sub-object.
Item’s Parent Theme
Properties applying to items within a specific SlideChoice sub-object may also be modified. When modifying properties for a specific/individual SlideChoice sub-object, modifications will apply ONLY to the items within the SlideChoice being modified, and will not affect other objects within the experiment (e.g., font color, size, etc. may be set per SlideChoice sub-object to vary Item presentation).
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Item’s Parent Theme |
BaseChoice, BaseButton, BaseSlider |
Predefined template to be used for specific sub-object types. |
While all properties are accessible within the parent theme, a few frequently used properties (see Item and Font tables below) are displayed, as a convenience, under the Parent Theme field to allow override without affecting the parent theme.
Item
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Item’s Parent Theme |
BaseChoice, BaseButton, BaseSlider |
Predefined template to be used for specific sub-object types. |
Item Color |
Color value (RGB values), Specific color strings (e.g., black, maroon, lime), Attribute references. |
Specifies the color in which the item selector and label are displayed.
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Word Wrap |
Yes, No, Attribute references |
Permits wrapping of text appearing on the sub-object. |
Font
Field |
Possible Values |
Description |
Font Name |
Dropdown list created from those fonts available in the system, string values (e.g., "Arial"), Attribute references |
Specifies the name of the font to be used for the display of text. |
Font Size |
Integer values (e.g., 10, 12), Integer values +.5 (e.g., 10.5), Attribute references |
Sets the point size of the font. |
Font Bold |
Yes, No, Attribute references, (inherit) |
Sets the bold status of the text. |
Font Italic |
Yes, No, Attribute references, (inherit) |
Sets the italic status of the text |
Font Underline |
Yes, No, Attribute references, (inherit) |
Sets the underline status of the text |
NOTE: The Theme Editor… buttons to the right of the Parent Theme and Item’s Parent Theme fields apply to the theme specified in the corresponding field.
In each case, the Theme Editor… button displays the Slide Button Theme Editor dialog to permit modification of the theme. The button simply serves as a quick method to display the dialog with pre-selection of the properties associated with the theme listed in the corresponding field (e.g., if the BaseChoice theme is selected as the Parent Theme, the Theme Editor… button to the right of the Parent Theme field will display the Slide Button Theme Editor dialog with the BaseChoice theme pre-selected). When the Slide Button Theme Editor dialog is displayed, any theme available within the experiment may be selected to view and/or modify its properties. Refer to E-STUDIO: Theme Editor [23585] for detailed information concerning the Theme Editor.
Response Input
At runtime, the user may navigate through and select the SlideChoice items using a pointer device (i.e., mouse or joystick), or the keyboard. To enable input via a specific device, configure the Input Device to Filter field for the Button Device in the Experiment Object property pages (see E-STUDIO: Button Device [24411].
When using a pointer device (e.g., mouse), the primary button may be used to click on any part of an item within the SlideChoice sub-object. When Single Selection is set to Yes, the item will become checked if currently unchecked. If currently checked, no action will occur. When Single Selection is set to No, each click of any part of an item will toggle between a checked and unchecked state.
When using the keyboard, items may be navigated using the TAB key to move in the forward/down direction, and the SHIFT+TAB key sequence to move in the backward/up direction. When a specific item is active, it may be selected/checked using the SPACE or ENTER keys. If visual indication of selection is desired, this may be accomplished via script.
Logging
The SlideChoice sub-object is derived from the SlideButton, and extends the measures automatically logged in the data file. The table below indicates the additional attributes appearing in the data file when input is collected via a SlideChoice sub-object. Each of the attributes appears as a property associated with the sub-object (i.e., <SlideChoiceName>.<PropertyName>).
Attribute |
Description |
Value |
Value associated with the item |
ValueOrdinal |
1-based integer value of item position |
ValueDataTag |
User-entered data tag associated with the value |
ValueLabel |
User-entered label associated with the value |
RT |
Response time (ms) to SlideChoice sub-object relative to the onset of the parent object (i.e., Slide.OnsetTime). If multiple responses are enabled, RT corresponds to the last response. |
RTTime |
Timestamp of response to SlideChoice sub-object relative to the beginning of experiment execution. If multiple responses are enabled, RT corresponds to the last response. |
ACC |
Accuracy of response (0 or 1) |
ResponseCount |
Number of responses. If single selection is enabled, ResponseCount will always = 0 or 1. |
ChangeCount |
Number of response changes |
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