# Latest version of PsychoPy builder is not giving RT in milliseconds

**URL:** <https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724>\
**Category:** Builder\
**Created:** [April 20, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724 "2024-04-20T11:57:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ANKIT\_MISHRA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/ankit_mishra/32/41601_2.png) [@ANKIT\_MISHRA](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/ANKIT_MISHRA)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/1 "2024-04-20T11:57:56Z")

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I have designed an experiment in Builder (v2022.1.2). There is a key component defined to calculate RT. The experiment runs perfectly fine when I run the experiment in the current version of Psychopy. The data file is generated in a CSV file, with RT for key response being reported in seconds. However, when I run the same experiment in the latest version of PsychoPy (v 2024.1.1), RT is being reported in values like ‘21.5894215’, ‘21.6388794’ etc. In the current experiment, RT can not be in the range of 21 seconds. So, it can not be a second unit. I am not sure what is the unit of RT being reported in the latest version of PsychoPy. In addition, how can I calculate RT in seconds with already recorded data?

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**Author:** ![wakecarter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/wakecarter/32/5753_2.png) [@wakecarter](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/wakecarter)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/2 "2024-04-20T12:22:15Z")

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I think that the issue is that the RT is being given relative to the global clock. This should be fixed in 2024.1.2 available early next week.

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**Author:** ![DyTayl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/dytayl/32/41610_2.png) [@DyTayl](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/DyTayl)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:32am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/3 "2024-04-23T00:32:11Z")

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Not sure if this should be in a new thread.  
I have tested the RT calculation on Ubuntu 20.04 and Psychopy 2024.1.2 and have the same problem.

To test I made a two routine keyboard response test.  
The first routine is simply a 4 second pause. The second shows “Go” and record the key\_resp. The key\_resp.rt ~ test routine end (4.3s).  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/psychopy/original/3X/5/7/5712edcdc5f0816c49750818d7ab10fbd2741c67.png)

Not sure if this is just on my end.

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**Author:** ![alekspi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/alekspi/32/16167_2.png) [@alekspi](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/alekspi)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/4 "2024-04-23T11:58:36Z")

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I can confirm the RT computation not being calculated to the start of the key component in 2024.1.2 (MacOS 13.6.6), I see the same behaviour in 2024.1.2 as in 2024.1.1

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**Author:** ![TParsons](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/tparsons/32/8301_2.png) [@TParsons](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/TParsons)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/5 "2024-04-24T10:55:15Z")

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It was puzzling me why this was still happening for you both when my tests are running fine but think I’ve tracked it down now! The fix in 24.1.2 fixed it only when using the `psychtoolbox` backend - in ioHub there was an additional adjustment needed, I didn’t catch it because my tests happened to be using the last backend I tested with (which was psychtoolbox). Will get a .3 release out ASAP with this fully fixed! In the meantime, go to Experiment Settings → Input and set the keyboard backend to “Psychtoolbox” to avoid this bug.

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**Author:** ![jon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/jon/32/22_2.png) [@jon](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/jon)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/6 "2024-04-24T17:03:55Z")

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There’s now 2024.1.3 with this hopefully fixed, if you could confirm?

> **[Release PsychoPy 2024.1.3 · psychopy/psychopy](https://github.com/psychopy/psychopy/releases/tag/2024.1.3)**
>
> What's Changed
> 
> BF: Telling Mouse Component to check new clicks without clickable stim raised syntax error by @TEParsons in #6398
> BF: Keyboard responses in ioHub weren't using relative time by @TEP...

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**Author:** ![SvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SvenB](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/SvenB)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/7 "2024-04-25T12:10:30Z")

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Hello,  
I just checked the behaviour with a short simple-response experiment, 10 trials. I found the following response times:

2024.1.2 Input ioHub:

key\_resp.rt  
2.9790797000168823  
5.25073749999865  
7.851133000018308  
10.571022100019036  
13.052549999993062  
15.563450300018303  
17.82802040001843  
20.579928899998777  
23.00318299999344  
25.139084399997955

2024.1.2 Input Psychtoolbox:

key\_resp.rt  
0.48188439998193644  
0.37089570000534877  
0.4493120000115596  
0.38295639998978004  
0.6155215000035241  
0.46478869998827577  
0.4702172000252176  
0.37770400001318194  
0.35765960000571795  
0.428477399982512

2024.1.3 Input ioHub:

key\_resp.rt  
-665.6386526  
-665.719861  
-665.7245329  
-665.6951448  
-665.6241216999999  
-665.6962546999999  
-665.6652124999999  
-665.725742  
-665.7439535999999  
-665.7433785999999

2024.1.3 Input Psychtoolbox:

key\_resp.rt  
0.4870552999999518  
0.3387970999999652  
0.31748210000000654  
0.3638317999999572  
0.3045061999999916  
0.28380300000003444  
0.25523249999992004  
0.3025062000000389  
0.3203171000000111  
0.3100577999999814

Thus, with input psychtoolbox it seems to be correct for 2024.1.2 and 2024.1.3  
With input ioHub it is wrong for both versions. But differently wrong…

This is on windows 10, experiment running on my desktop.

yours - Sven

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**Author:** ![ANKIT\_MISHRA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/ankit_mishra/32/41601_2.png) [@ANKIT\_MISHRA](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/ANKIT_MISHRA)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 10:26am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/8 "2024-04-30T10:26:13Z")

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Thank you so much for your response. This was very helpful.

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**Author:** ![SHANIA\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SHANIA\_H](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/SHANIA_H)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 8:55am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/9 "2024-05-03T08:55:45Z")

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Thank you for sharing the comparison of key\_resp.rt in PsychoPy 2024.1.2 and 2024.1.3 versions. It is useful!

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**Author:** ![Amy\_Lebkuecher](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/amy_lebkuecher/32/46423_2.png) [@Amy\_Lebkuecher](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/Amy_Lebkuecher)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/10 "2026-04-24T12:39:39Z")

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I know this is an old post, but is there a way to salvage RT data that has already been collected with the ioHub backend? Can I convert the RTs collected to seconds or figure it out using some of the other metrics in the CSV? I’m hoping I don’t have to discard multiple participants.

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**Author:** ![Caroline\_H](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/caroline_h/32/45522_2.png) [@Caroline\_H](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/Caroline_H)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/latest-version-of-psychopy-builder-is-not-giving-rt-in-milliseconds/39724/11 "2026-05-06T14:50:06Z")

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Also wondering the same! I’ve only just discovered the issue from a task I ran last year…