GetWrite Experiment Template

The GetWrite Experiment Template allows flexible creation of experiments involving pen-data capture by people without Python and PsychoPy programming experience. The wintab interface implemented in GetWrite is not available as an object in PsychoPy Builder (the PsychoPy experiment development graphic interface). The Template Experiment therefore bypasses the need to use this. It can be used to create experiments that display images and / or play sounds and then collect pen data responses.

Experiments are programmed simply by editing an excel file that can be found here: \getwrite\experiments\ExperimentTemplate\conditions. Each row represents a single trial (typically - although creative use of the template allows more complex trials split across rows). Trials have three phases, nominally called Instructions, Go and Stop, although again these can be used flexibly. Users indicate for each phase what images should be displayed or sounds played (if any), what data should be collected, and what action should terminate the phase. Complete conditions excel files can then be saved with a new filename. Running the template experiment (Run_ExperimentTemplate.bat in the GetWrite root directory) brings up a dialogue box where you can specify with conditions file you want to use.

The template can be used without any direct editing of Python code. However while GetWrite is still under active development the best place for detailed documentation is within the relevant scrips. To use the template, therefore, please see detailed information at the start of \getwrite\experiments\ExperimentTemplate\run.py. This is a text file that will open in any text editor.

There are plans to substantially extend the functionality of the Experiment Template in Autumn 2019.