Trial details

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. Green shows ways that an unsuccessful subject can rescue itself and lead onto the blue path. Red shows errors.

State name	Description	State of the box	Consequence of nosepoking in the centre hole.	Consequence of nosepoking at the left or right hole.	Consequence of nosepoking at the rear (food) panel	Consequence of time passing
NOTSTARTED	Not started yet. Awaiting experimenter to start task.	Darkness.	-	-	-	-
PLEASE_EAT	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. This point may also be reached by successful completion of a trial.	Houselight on. Traylight on (if used).	Score perseverative centre response and go to TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative side response and go to TIMEOUT.	Go to PLEASE_CENTRE.	-
TIMEOUT_OVER_PLEASE_REINITIATE	Punishment timeout over. Rat must respond to rear panel to initiate new trial.	Houselight on. Traylight on (if used).	Score perseverative centre response and go to TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative side response and go to TIMEOUT.	Go to PLEASE_CENTRE.	-
PLEASE_CENTRE	Trials begin here. Trial number incremented. Waiting for subject to respond in the centre hole.	Houselight on. Centre hole lit.	Go to CENTRED.	Score premature side response and go to TIMEOUT.	Recorded; no consequence.	-
CENTRED	Subject currently responding in centre hole. Brief pause before target is illuminated.	Houselight on.	If rat withdraws, score premature centre withdrawal and go to TIMEOUT.	Shouldn't be possible, unless equipment failure or unusually shaped rat. But score premature side response and go to TIMEOUT.	Shouldn't be possible, unless equipment failure or unusually shaped rat. But score perseverative panel push and go to TIMEOUT.	Go to TARGET_ON.
TARGET_ON	Side target illuminated. Subject may respond.	Houselight on. Target hole lit.	Score perseverative centre response and go to TIMEOUT.	If correct, deliver food and go to PLEASE_EAT. If incorrect, go to TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative panel push and go to TIMEOUT.	Go to TARGET_OFF.
TARGET_OFF	Side target has gone out, but subject may still respond.	Houselight on.	Score perseverative centre response and go to TIMEOUT.	If correct, deliver food and go to PLEASE_EAT. If incorrect, go to TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative panel push and go to TIMEOUT.	Omission. Go to TIMEOUT.
TIMEOUT	Rat is being punished.	Darkness.	Score perseverative centre response and restart TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative side response and restart TIMEOUT.	Score perseverative panel push and restart TIMEOUT.	Go to TIMEOUT_OVER_PLEASE_REINITIATE.
FINISHED	Rat finished the task	Darkness.	-	-	-	-
ABORTED	User aborted the task	Darkness.	-	-	-	-

The task records every response with its location and the state (phase) the box was in when the response was made.