Payoff Matrix - Feedback Counter (Tidy up script)

[David McFarlane]

Caleb,

I commend you for taking an interest in improving your code, instead 
of simply settling for the first bit of code that gives the appearnce 
of working (and which almost always fails on close inspection).  I 
hope my comments below don't seem too harsh, if so just consider that 
they come from a grouchy old man.

First, some style issues -- Your code appeared in my e-mail reader 
with indentations of *12* spaces!  That is *way* too much 
indentation, it makes the code quickly run off the edge of the screen 
and makes it unreadable.  Please learn to use the well-documented 
industry standard indentation of 4 spaces.  Also, *please* resist the 
urge to double-space your code, that only reduces how much of your 
code will fit into view on my screen and does nothing to aid 
understanding.  I had to take your code into my own text editor and 
edit it down to make it readable, do not expect me to do that again.

Now, a few comments on the code itself.  First, I wonder if you 
really need two different Slide objects?  If they perform essentially 
the same function only with different content, then I would just use 
one Slide and change the content using attribute references.  That 
could simplify the code right there.

Next, ignoring the MsgBox statements, it seems to me that all that 
changes in the various conditions is the number of points by which 
AccuracyDisplay changes.  In that case,  I would use a variable to 
hold the change amount, e.g., dAccuracyDisplay (i.e., "delta" 
AccuracyDisplay), so that the calculation becomes merely

AccuracyDisplay = AccuracyDisplay + dAccuracyDisplay

Yes, you might still need a mess of code to compute dAccuracyDisplay, 
but I like to separate the mess that computes dAccuracyDisplay from 
the operation that actually uses it, I find such separation aids my 
comprehension.

Next, once I have graduated to using a variable (instead of literal 
values) in the computation, I would consider using a 
multi-dimensional array to hold a table of the possible point values, 
and use numeric codes that will act as indices into the table for 
each condition.  E.g., I might use 0 instead of "OldNew" for that 
TestType, 0 instead of "Old"  for that StatusOldNew, etc.  This 
admitedly adds a bit of indirection, but indirection that will could 
greatly simplify our computation.  I would of course still need some 
code to set up the table at the start of the session, but with that 
done my computaton during the run might reduce to a single line, e.g.,

AccuracyDisplay = AccuracyDisplay + PointTable( _
     CInt(c.getattrib ("TestType")), _
     CInt(MasterList.getattrib("StatusOldNew")), TestSlide.ACC )

But I have probably missed something really obvious, so I hope 
someone else here will chime in and set me straight.

One more style point, then a homework assignment.  Of course, it is 
good practice to end every Select Case with a Case Else to catch 
unforeseen cases, e.g.,

Case Else
     MsgBox "Invalid option."

I trust you left this out of your example simply because it was not 
germane to your question.

And now your homework:  Work through Chapter 4, "Using E-Basic", of 
the User's Guide that came with E-Prime, and study any edition of 
"VBA for Dummies" (still available at Amazon.com, get a used copy).

Regards,
-- David McFarlane, Professional Faultfinder
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over 
public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."  (Richard Feynman, 
Nobel prize-winning physicist)


At 1/9/2011 09:00 PM Sunday, you wrote:
>  I have learned so much about E-Prime through this group and 
> through butting my head against E-Prime's metaphorical wall (i.e. 
> scripting).  It is now time for me to post a question.
>
>  My experiment:
>
>  This memory experiment asks participants to study a list of 
> pictures.  At test, they are presented with both the pictures they 
> just studied and new pictures.  Their job is to discriminate 
> between studied and non-studied pictures (e.g. "Was this old or 
> new?").  In this experiment, there are 5 such study-test 
> blocks.  My manipulation is to use five different payoff matrices 
> which correspond to the five study-test blocks.  Each study-test 
> block (and thus, each payoff matrix) will be presented in random 
> order to each new participant.
>
>  My question:
>
>  I am trying to create a feedback counter to present to 
> participants after each trial.  I can do it, but my script requires 
> many nested "If...Then" statements and "Select Case" 
> statements.  The reason for this is because of the following:
>
>  1) I have two experiment startup conditions.  I have an "Old New" 
> Condition and a "PDP" condition (not important what these actually 
> mean).  As a result, I also have two different SlideObjects 
> (TestSlideOLDNEW and TestSlide) that correspond to each 
> condition.  The TestSlide objects collect trial responses.
>
>2) I have 5 different "Payoff Matrix" conditions (I call them A, B, 
>C, D, and E).
>
>3) I need to assign different 'points' to each correct and incorrect response.
>
>4) For each correct and incorrect response, I need to assign 
>different point values based on the type of picture presented (e.g. 
>old/studied or new/non-studied).  This corresponds to Hits, Misses, 
>False Alarms, and Correct Rejections.
>
>  I will try to explain what I have in the following script:
>
> 
>**********************************************************************************************************************
>
>***********************************************************************************************************************
>
>'This If...Then statement refers to (1) above
>
>If c.getattrib ("TestType") = "OldNew" then
>
>Select Case MasterList.getattrib ("Payoff") ' This refers to the 
>five different Payoff Matrices
>
>             Case "A" 'First payoff matrix
>
>                         If MasterList.getattrib ("StatusOldNew") = "Old" then
>
>                                     If TestSlideOLDNEW.ACC = 1 then 'Hit Rate
>
>                                                 AccuracyDisplay = 
> AccuracyDisplay+1 'counter
>
>                                                 c.setattrib 
> "Accuracy", AccuracyDisplay 'Sets Accuracy attribute so that I can 
> display up-to-date point system per trial
>
>                                     Elseif TestSlideOLDNEW.ACC = 0 then 'Miss
>
>                                                 Accuracy Display = 
> AccuracyDisplay-1
>
>                                                 c.setattrib 
> "Accuracy", AccuracyDisplay
>
>                                     Else MsgBox "Conservative A 
> condition payoff matrix error Status Old"
>
>                                     End if
>
>                         Elseif MasterList.getattrib("StatusOldNew") 
> = "New" then
>
>                                     If TestSlideOLDNEW.ACC = 1 then 
> 'Correct Rejection
>
>                                                 AccuracyDisplay = 
> AccuracyDisplay+5
>
>                                                 c.setattrib 
> "Accuracy", AccuracyDisplay
>
>                                     Elseif TestSlideOLDNEW.ACC = 0 
> then ' False Alarm
>
>                                                 AccuracyDisplay = 
> AccuracyDisplay-5
>
>                                                 c.setattrib 
> "Accuracy", AccuracyDisplay
>
>                                     Else MsgBox "Conservative A 
> condition payoff matrix error Status New"
>
>                                     End if
>
>                         Else MsgBox "StatusOLDNEW payoff matrix error"
>
>             Case "B"
>
>.
>
>.
>
>.
>
>Case "E"
>
>
>
>Elseif c.getattrib("TestType") = "PDP" then
>
>     Select Case.........
>
>.
>
>.
>
>.
>
>***********************************************************************************************************************
>
>***********************************************************************************************************************
>
>You can see that much of my script seems redundant, but I cannot 
>figure out how to condense the script any further.  I am familiar 
>with For...Next loops, SubRoutines, Arrays, If...Then, IIf, and 
>Select...Case functions as I've read the E-Basic help on these 
>functions and used them in the past.  However, my personal 
>experience with Subroutines and Arrays is limited, but I understand 
>them enough to have been able to use them in the past 
>effectively.  The solutions I've thought of merely require 
>rearranging everything in IIF, If...Then, or Select...case 
>functions, but this seems like a rather unnecessary 
>rearrangement.  I've also thought of declaring an array so that I 
>can just add values to the counter within a For...Next loop, but 
>this also seems unnecessary because I could just as easily input the 
>actual integer values.
>
>Therefore, my question is, how can I condense this script 
>further?  I will continue to try to innovate, but I would also like 
>to hear any comments/suggestions that any of you might have.  I plan 
>to post my (hopefully, elegant) solution once I reach it.
>
>If anything seems unclear, please let me know.
>
>Thank you!
>
>Caleb J. Picker

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