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Trial format
Think of the task as existing in a number of states, because that's how the program implements it. Incidentally, this is an exercise in mental discipline: if you can't specify a state table like this, having thought about what should happen in response to all possible events in any state, then you can't program the task properly.
Blue text shows the states that a successful subject cycles through, once it's completed the first trial progression of PRESTIM_PLEASEPUSH → INITIAL_PAUSE.
State name
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Description
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State of the box
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Consequence of nosepoking at the front panel (one of the five holes)
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Consequence of nosepoking at the rear (food) panel
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Consequence of time passing
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NOTSTARTED
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Not started yet. Awaiting experimenter to start task.
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Darkness.
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-
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-
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-
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PRESTIM_PLEASEPUSH
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Task begins here. (For the first trial, a free pellet is given and the trial number is initially set to 0.)
Rat must respond to rear panel to initiate the trial.
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Houselight on.
Traylight on (if used).
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Score premature response. Perhaps punish by going to PRESTIM_TIMEOUT, which will eventually start a new trial. (2)
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Go to INITIAL_PAUSE.
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-
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POSTSTIM_PLEASEPUSH
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Post-stimulus punishment timeout over. Rat must respond to rear panel to initiate new trial.
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Houselight on.
Traylight on (if used).
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Score perseverative response. Perhaps punish by going to POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT, which will eventually start a new trial. (2)
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Go to INITIAL_PAUSE.
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-
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INITIAL_PAUSE
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Trials begin here. Trial number incremented.
Variable time before stimulus is presented (sometimes called the "ITI").
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Houselight on.
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Score premature response and enter PRESTIM_TIMEOUT, which will eventually start a new trial.
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Score perseverative panel-push. No other consequence.
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Go to STIM_ON.
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STIM_ON
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Stimulus presented briefly. Opportunity to respond.
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Houselight on.
One target hole lit.
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Either a correct or an incorrect response. If correct, reward and go to AWAITING_COLLECT. If incorrect, go to POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT, which will eventually start a new trial.
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Score perseverative panel-push. No other consequence.
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Go to STIM_OFF.
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STIM_OFF
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Stimulus has gone off, but opportunity to respond remains.
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Houselight on.
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Exactly as for STIM_ON.
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Score perseverative panel-push. No other consequence.
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Score an omission and go to POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT, which will eventually start a new trial.
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AWAITING_COLLECT
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Successful response; subject has been rewarded. Awaiting food collection (which will also initiate the next trial).
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Houselight on.
Traylight on (if used).
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Score perseverative response. Either no other consequence, or punish by going to POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT. (3)
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Successful reward collection. Begin a new trial by entering INITIAL_PAUSE state.
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-
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PRESTIM_TIMEOUT
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Rat is being punished for a premature nosepoke to the front panel.
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Darkness.
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Perhaps score premature response (4), and perhaps restart PRESTIM_TIMEOUT (1).
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Recorded. No other consequence.
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Go to PRESTIM_PLEASEPUSH.
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POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT
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Rat is being punished for an incorrect response, or a perseverative response.
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Darkness.
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Perhaps score perseverative response (5), and perhaps restart POSTSTIM_TIMEOUT (1).
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Recorded. No other consequence.
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Go to POSTSTIM_PLEASEPUSH.
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FINISHED
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Rat finished the task
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Darkness.
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-
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-
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-
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ABORTED
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User aborted the task
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Darkness.
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-
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-
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-
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(1) Option: front panel responses during timeouts can prolong the timeout by restarting it (default) or not. On the Parameters dialogue, this is the option labelled "Front panel responding during timeouts prolongs (restarts) the timeout."
(2) Option: front panel responses while waiting to start a trial are punished with a timeout, or not (default). On the Parameters dialogue, this is the option labelled "Front panel responding while waiting to start trial is punished."
(3) Option: "Punish perseverative nosepokes following a correct response." See the Parameters dialogue.
(4) Option: "Front panel responding in a pre-stimulus timeout is scored as premature." See the Parameters dialogue.
(5) Option: "Front panel responding in a post-stimulus timeout is scored as perseverative." See the Parameters dialogue.
The duration of the STIM_ON and STIM_OFF times, together, constitute a "limited hold" period for the rat to respond.
The task records every response with its location and the state (phase) the box was in when the response was made.
Additionally,
| • | there can be an overall time limit for the session; |
| • | there can be a trial limit for the session; |
| • | a noise (e.g. tone or white noise, depending on your device) can be presented as a distractor at various times (measured relative to stimulus onset and specified in the task parameters). |
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