Tips needed for tweaking the standard likert scale script

[Micah]

Hallo,

I've got an fMRI paradigm that is almost finished. I've embedded a
customized version of the likert script, and could use a little help
with a simple tweak. I'm a moderately skilled e-basic coder, so if you
can suggest a general strategy, I can probably implement it. As it is
coded now, the likert scale waits for a response before closing. The
actual slideobject it draws to has 0 duration, and as far as I can
tell, the script simply stops the the slide once a response is given.
I'd like to ensure that there is a time limit for the response, so
that the total possible time to respond is 6 seconds. I.e.  if a
participant answers in 2 seconds, there would be 4 seconds of fixation
following the answer, before moving on. I much appreciate any tips you
can lend.

Here is the inline that controls the Likert scale:

'Declare a variable for accessing each SlideText object and changing
properties.
Dim theSlideText As SlideText

Dim strName As String
Dim nLastResponseCount As Integer
nLastResponseCount = 0

Dim nNextMoveTime As Long

Dim strLastResponse As String

Dim boolMove As Boolean
boolMove = False

Dim theKeyboardResponseData As KeyboardResponseData


Do While Stimulus.InputMasks.IsPending()

	'Was there a response?
	If Stimulus.InputMasks.Responses.Count > nLastResponseCount Then

		nLastResponseCount = nLastResponseCount +1

		Set theKeyboardResponseData =
CKeyboardResponseData(Stimulus.InputMasks.Responses(nLastResponseCount))

		If theKeyboardResponseData.RESP = "2" Then

			'Subject has already selected the highest rating.
			If intCurrent < 7 Then

				'Increment the current selection.
				intPrevious = intCurrent
				intCurrent = intCurrent + 1

				'Change border color of previously selected box back to white,
change border
				'color of currently selected box to red.
				strName = "Text" & intPrevious
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("white")

				strName = "Text" & intCurrent
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("red")

				boolMove = False

			'	nNextMoveTime = Clock.Read + 500
				strLastResponse = "2"

			End If

		ElseIf theKeyboardResponseData.RESP = "1" Then

			'Subject has already selected the lowest rating.
			If intCurrent > 1 Then

				'Decrement the current selection.
				intPrevious = intCurrent
				intCurrent = intCurrent - 1

				'Change border color of previously selected box back to white,
change border
				'color of currently selected box to red.
				strName = "Text" & intPrevious
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("white")

				strName = "Text" & intCurrent
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("red")

				boolMove = False

				nNextMoveTime = Clock.Read + 500
				strLastResponse = "1"

			End If

		ElseIf theKeyboardResponseData.RESP = "{-2}" Or
theKeyboardResponseData.RESP = "{-1}" Then

			If Mid(theKeyboardResponseData.RESP, 3, 1) = strLastResponse Then

				boolMove = False

			End If

		End If

	ElseIf boolMove = True And (Clock.Read > nNextMoveTime) Then

		If strLastResponse = "2" Then

			'Subject has already selected the highest rating.
			If intCurrent < 7 Then

				'Increment the current selection.
				intPrevious = intCurrent
				intCurrent = intCurrent + 1

				'Change border color of previously selected box back to white,
change border
				'color of currently selected box to red.
				strName = "Text" & intPrevious
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("white")

				strName = "Text" & intCurrent
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("red")

			End If

		Else

			'Subject has already selected the lowest rating.
			If intCurrent > 1 Then

				'Decrement the current selection.
				intPrevious = intCurrent
				intCurrent = intCurrent - 1

				'Change border color of previously selected box back to white,
change border
				'color of currently selected box to red.
				strName = "Text" & intPrevious
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("white")

				strName = "Text" & intCurrent
				Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
				theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("red")

			End If

		End If

		nNextMoveTime = Clock.Read + 500

	End If

	Stimulus.Draw

Loop

'Change the BackColor property of the selected box to red to show the
subject
'that the response has been collected.
strName = "Text" & intCurrent
Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
theSlideText.BackColor = CColor("red")

'Redraw the Slide to show changes.
Stimulus.Draw

'Log rating in the data file under the attribute "Rating"
c.SetAttrib "Rating", intCurrent

Sleep 1000

'Return box to default appearance.
theSlideText.BackColor = CColor("green")
theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("white")

strName = "Text4"
Set theSlideText =
CSlideText(Stimulus.States.Item("Default").Objects(strName))
theSlideText.BorderColor = CColor("red")

Stimulus.Draw

Set theSlideText = Nothing

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