Paired-Associate Learning Task

Field	Value
Name	Paired-Associate Learning Task
Version	v0.1.0-dev
URL / Repository	E:\Taskbeacon\T000051-paired-associate-learning-task
Short Description	Verbal paired-associate learning with study-phase relation judgment and 4-choice recognition
Created By	TaskBeacon build pipeline
Date Updated	2026-04-17
PsyFlow Version	0.1.12
PsychoPy Version	2025.2.4
Modality	Behavior
Language	English

1. Task Overview

This task implements a verbal paired-associate learning paradigm in PsychoPy/PsyFlow. Participants learn word pairs across three lists: one practice list and two scored lists. Each list contains a deterministic set of cue/associate word pairs drawn from the local word banks.

The runtime follows two phases per pair. During study, participants judge whether the pair is related or unrelated by meaning using R and U. During test, they choose the associate word that was paired with the cue word from a 4-choice grid using keys 1-4.

The task is designed for auditable, repeatable execution. Word-pair selection, lure construction, and option ordering are deterministic from the task seed and block index. Practice lists include corrective feedback; scored lists do not.

2. Task Flow

Block-Level Flow

Step	Description
Load Config	Read the mode-specific config and task metadata.
Collect Subject Info	Collect subject ID in human mode or inject deterministic IDs in QA/sim.
Initialize Runtime	Create the PsychoPy window, keyboard, triggers, and stimulus bank.
Show Instructions	Present the paired-associate learning instructions and key mappings.
Run Practice List	Present the practice block with study judgments, test choices, and corrective feedback.
Show Practice Break	Display study accuracy, test accuracy, mean test RT, and timeout count.
Run Scored List 1	Present the first scored block without corrective feedback.
Show Block Break	Display block-level performance summary after scored list 1.
Run Scored List 2	Present the second scored block without corrective feedback.
Show Block Break	Display block-level performance summary after scored list 2.
Save Outputs	Write the CSV data and settings JSON to the mode output folder.
Finish	Present the goodbye screen, send the end trigger, and quit PsychoPy.

Trial-Level Flow

Step	Description
Study Fixation	Show a centered fixation cross for a short pre-pair interval.
Study Pair	Show the cue word and associate word side-by-side, plus the R/U prompt.
Study Response	Collect R for related or U for unrelated within the study window.
Practice Study Feedback	Show corrective feedback only during the practice list.
Study ITI	Show the fixation cross again before the next pair.
Test Fixation	Show a centered fixation cross before the recognition screen.
Test Choice	Show the cue word and four candidate associates in a 2x2 grid.
Test Response	Collect 1, 2, 3, or 4 for the recognition choice.
Practice Test Feedback	Show corrective feedback only during the practice list.
Test ITI	Show the fixation cross again before the next pair.

Controller Logic

Feature	Description
Condition Scheduling	build_session_plan(...) creates one practice block and two scored blocks with disjoint word-pair slices.
Determinism	The cue/associate bank, lure selection, and option order are all deterministic from the overall seed and block index.
Trial Context	Every participant-visible phase in src/run_trial.py calls set_trial_context(...) before display or response capture.
Scoring	Study correctness is based on the related/unrelated judgment key; test correctness is based on the selected associate word.
Simulation	The scripted responder exercises the response path, and the sampler responder varies accuracy, RT, and timeout behavior.

3. Configuration Summary

a. Subject Info

Field	Meaning
subject_id	Three-digit participant identifier.

b. Window Settings

Parameter	Value
window.size	[1280, 720]
window.units	pix
window.bg_color	black
window.fullscreen	false
window.screen	0

c. Stimuli

Stimulus ID	Purpose
instruction_text	Intro screen explaining the task, the study/test phases, and the response keys.
block_intro_text	Block intro screen that labels the current list and reminds the participant of the keys.
fixation	Center fixation cross used before study and test screens and during ITIs.
study_cue_word	Cue word on the left side of the study screen.
study_associate_word	Associate word on the right side of the study screen.
study_prompt	Relation-judgment prompt shown below the study pair.
test_cue_word	Cue word shown above the 4-choice test grid.
test_option_1 / test_option_2 / test_option_3 / test_option_4	Four candidate associate words laid out in a 2x2 grid.
test_prompt	Recognition prompt shown below the test grid.
practice_study_feedback_*	Practice-only study feedback screens for correct, incorrect, and timeout outcomes.
practice_test_feedback_*	Practice-only test feedback screens for correct, incorrect, and timeout outcomes.
practice_break_text	Practice summary with study and test accuracy plus RT/timeout summary.
block_break_text	Scored-list summary with study and test accuracy plus RT/timeout summary.
good_bye_text	Final task summary and exit prompt.

d. Timing

Parameter	Value
timing.fixation_duration	0.5 s
timing.study_duration	1.5 s
timing.study_iti_duration	0.4 s
timing.test_duration	6.0 s
timing.test_iti_duration	0.4 s
timing.practice_feedback_duration	0.8 s

e. Triggers

Trigger	Code
exp_onset / exp_end	1 / 2
block_onset / block_end	10 / 11
instruction_onset	12
study_fixation_onset	20
study_onset	21
response_r / response_u	31 / 32
study_timeout	33
practice_study_feedback_onset	34
study_iti_onset	35
test_fixation_onset	40
test_onset	41
response_1 / response_2 / response_3 / response_4	51 / 52 / 53 / 54
response_timeout	55
practice_test_feedback_onset	56
test_iti_onset	57
block_break_onset	60
good_bye_onset	61

f. Adaptive Controller

Parameter	Value
Adaptive controller	None

4. Methods (for academic publication)

Participants completed a verbal paired-associate learning task implemented in PsychoPy/PsyFlow. Across three lists, they viewed cue/associate word pairs, made a related/unrelated judgment during study, and then chose the learned associate from four alternatives during test.

The implementation uses deterministic word-bank sampling so the order of pairs, the lure set, and the response-option layout are reproducible for auditing and simulation. Practice feedback is enabled only in the practice list; scored lists are feedback-free.

The retrieval screen is implemented as a 4-choice recognition adaptation to fit the key-based framework used in this repository. That adaptation is documented in the task logic audit and stimulus mapping files.