Running experiments

To run experiments, open the Runner. It will prompt you to select a MouseTracker experiment file (in .CSV format). It will then execute this experiment file and once finished, output data into a subfolder within the folder where the .CSV file is located. The name of this subfolder is the name of the experiment .CSV file (without the .CSV extension) and the data file will carry the extension: .MT. At the beginning of running the experiment, Runner will ask you for the subject ID. The outputted data file will then appear in the format:

CSV-FILE-NAME\ID_DATE_TIME.mt

CSV-FILE-NAME = name of the experiment .CSV file (without the .CSV extension)
ID = subject ID
DATE = the date when the data file was outputted
TIME = the time when the data file was outputted

As of version 2.3, an experiment log file is created as well, which details the trials that are executed by Runner. This is often useful for determining error-raising trials in an experiment .CSV file. It is located here:

CSV-FILE-NAME\ID_explog.txt

In every kind of experiment, several things do not change. On each trial, a "Start" button appears. After a participant presses this, the trial begins. The participant then moves the mouse from the location of the "Start" button to one of multiple response alternatives.

To abort an experiment early, press the F12 key. You can then choose to save the data already collected or to end without saving any data.

Test Mode
Runner's Test Mode is initiated by using the "-test" command-line argument. If you did a full install of MouseTracker at version 2.30 or after, it may be launched by the "Runner (Test mode)" shortcuts in the Start Menu and on the Desktop. Test Mode provides a rapid test of whether an experiment .CSV file will raise an error or not. The experiment launches as usual, except that on every trial the computer automatically clicks the Start button and then immediately clicks response #1. It will also automatically key through instructions/break slides (trial type 0). The experimental parameters, feedbacktime, ITI1, and ITI2 are all set to 0 as well (see Creating Experiments | Experimental parameters). Thus, an experiment runs from start to finish rapidly, allowing an assessment of whether an error will occur or not. If an error does occur, you can consult the experiment log file (see above) to see what the last executed trial was (as that is the error-raising trial).

Command-line arguments:
-s = Specifies subject ID (e.g., -s 250 specifies subject ID = 250)
-f = Specifies experiment file (e.g., -f c:\mousetracker\sample\fruit-veggies.csv specifies experiment file)
-test = Puts Runner into Test Mode. See Test Mode above.

Thus, one could execute runner.exe with arguments such as:
c:\mousetracker\runner.exe -s 250 -f c:\mousetracker\sample\fruit-veggies.csv