Messy spreadsheets for data analysis

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1

Hi!

I don’t know if anyone else has encountered the same issue but when analysing the generated data from Pavlovia (in excel format), some of the variables/rows are presented in a different order for participants (i.e some participants have reaction time for key response in column H, and others in column K).

Most recently, I developed a new batch of tasks and in the resulting spreadsheets, the participant responses cells are not even aligned with the presented stimuli cells (R (key response column) red (stimuli column)). For some reason they aren’t presented at the same level, having to delete one cell at the top of one of the columns in order to make them match.

These little issues make the data analysis much more demanding, especially when having many participants.

I was wondering if someone knows of a way to reshape the spreadsheet within Psychopy, by changing the structure of the task a little; or making the analysis with excel less effortful (since Pavlovia reproduce the data in different spreadsheets for each participants, what I’m currently doing is combining the spreadsheets in one excel file and filtering the data by columns - this is why I need participants’ responses on the same column).

Thank you!

2

Hello! would you be able to share a couple of the non consistent data files so we can take a look?

Also this post might link to useful materials as well Script for data analysis - #2 by Becca

Becca

PS. posted this then saw you were the original poster of the other post :see_no_evil:

3

Hi Becca!

Thanks for your response. Here is an example of key responses and stimuli cells not aligning and another example of how participants present key responses and reaction times in different columns when the spreadsheets are combined.

Best regards!

4

Non aligning columns is why I now use “database “ data saving on Pavlovia. One fewer headache

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5

How does this work? Do you still analyse in excel (are the files saved on excel format)?

6

When you download results you get a CSV file called all participants (annoyingly inside a zip file of the rest of the contents of the data folder) which contains all database saved data appended. The columns are still in an odd order but that doesn’t matter because they’re all the same

7

I see! Do you have to click database format before running the studies?

Also, if I want to also get the results in cvs format, is it still possible to get them even if I clicked database before running the task? by just clicking cvs and then the download button (after running)?

Many thanks!!

8

You selection affects future data, not past. I normally switch to database when I’ve finished piloting and start recruiting.

9

Ok. Would you be able to share a file with this format?

I would like to compare both formats before setting one.

Many thanks!

10

You can set it, run a couple of tests, and the set it back to CSV. I’m not sure seeing a file from someone else’s experiment would help. It looks like your existing CSV files but appended

1 Like
11

perfect, thanks!