# Problems with paced reading task

**URL:** <https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965>\
**Category:** Online experiments\
**Created:** [November 3, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965 "2025-11-03T18:35:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mtborneo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mtborneo](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/mtborneo)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/1 "2025-11-03T18:35:00Z")

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hello! I’m trying to make a paced reading task (so, fixed time for each word), with each word appearing for 400ms and an interword interval for 200ms. The general task seems to work with simple routines and loops but the first few words of each sentence speed up instead of being presented for the fixed 400ms. Does anyone know what could be causing this?

Thanks!

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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:** [November 3, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/2 "2025-11-03T21:42:04Z")

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Please could you show how you are controlling the timing?

The timing for the first item in a loop can be a bit out so one option could be to start the sentence with a dummy blank word.

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**Author:** ![mtborneo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mtborneo](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/mtborneo)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 12:45pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/3 "2025-11-04T12:45:56Z")

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I’m having each window be shown from time 0.0s to 0.4s and then loop through my csv. I did what you suggested and it still skips the first few windows of each sentence ☹

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**Author:** ![mtborneo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mtborneo](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/mtborneo)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/4 "2025-11-04T12:50:36Z")

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the warning message is “Couldn’t measure a consistent frame rate!”

but I don’t know how to fix it…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [November 4, 2025, 1:04pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/5 "2025-11-04T13:04:22Z")

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You could use my RSVP online demo as an alternative method. Instead of looping through a spreadsheet you could split the sentence and present all the words in a single routine looped with Each Frame code.

> [@PsychoPy Online Demos](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/psychopy-online-demos/22319):
>
> If you have routines or experiments that are likely to be useful to others, please create a post in this thread, editing your post to add new demos so there is one post per creator. Ideally set your demos so they can be tested without consuming a credit (if you don’t have a site license) by adding a final routine that can’t end, disabling save incomplete results and adding a small number of credits. Please do not discuss the demos in this thread or create more than one post unless you have a la…

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**Author:** ![mtborneo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mtborneo](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/mtborneo)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/problems-with-paced-reading-task/45965/6 "2025-11-04T15:33:52Z")

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thanks! So, I think I fixed it. The refreshing rate is 120hz so instead of setting the duration of each window to a specific time in ms I set it to frames (so, 400ms corresponds to 48 frames at 120). I think it works like this.