PsychoPy Builder does not import condition file for block-wise presented word-list based on the DRM paradigm

I am currently creating a memory experiment in PsychoPy, my python skills are very limited and it is my first time, therefore I am mostly relying on the Builder. :smiley:

The experiment includes a study condition where I have a total of 30 trials across two conditions with 15 trials each. One trial = one word list and each word list includes 10 words. The words need to stay thematically sorted but the words in the lists need to be randomised as well as the order of the lists has to be randomised. The two conditions do not have to be presented separately but it is basically just the 30 lists randomised. I hope the set-up is understandable.

Therefore, I tried to have an Excel sheet for each list with the words listed under a ‘stim_word’ variable (this one I took as the variable to be presented in the text window). I thought to randomise the presentation of the lists by putting them in a seperate Condition Excel sheet with a ‘cond_fil’ variable that lists the document title of the seperate excel sheets (one for each word list). I put this condition file in an overarching loop and created an inner loop to present the values (the different lists) of the cond_file variable in a random order. Yet, I get an error when importing the condition file and when I ask for the ‘cond_file’ variable in the Conditions of the trial properties it shows No parametres set(conditionsFile not found)

I tried to delete the trial loop and create it again in hope it would help which it did not unfortunately. I also created all the excel files new in case there is something written in a random cell that I cannot see. I made sure all the files are in the same path as the program I want to run and I made sure that all the variable names are correctly represented in the builder and the code. I tried to change the path to the experiment handler as well. I already tried to save the sheets as a .csv and as .xlsx but I always get the same error code about importing the conditions file (or maybe I even read the error code wrong):

File"C:\Users\cliol\OneDrive\Desktop\marble\PsychoPy\Excel_sheets\Realtask_lastrun.py", line 488, in <module>
    trialList=data.importConditions(cond_file),
  File "C:\Program Files\PsychoPy\lib\site-packages\psychopy\data\utils.py", line 291, in importConditions
    raise ValueError(msg % os.path.abspath(fileName))
ValueError: Conditions file not found: C:\Users\cliol\OneDrive\Desktop\marble\PsychoPy\Excel_sheets\List_asso_king.xlsx
################# Experiment ended with exit code 1 [pid:3852] #################
3487.2336     EXP     Imported Condition_file.xlsx. as conditions, 2 conditions, 1 params

I am wondering how I can make the program import the files or read them correctly or if there may be a better way to create randomised lists of thematically sorted words. I believe there may be an easier way than to have 30 different excel sheets to present the lists but I have no clue to be honest. I appreciate any help!

Hello,

I have a similar experiment which uses two Excel-files for the same purpose.

This is the loop to go through the various learn and recognition list. It is sequential in my case.

This is the content of StimulusListe.xlsx

grafik

This is the loop for the learn-trail

and this the content of a learn-list

grafik

All files are relative to the experiment folder, not absolute as it seems to be in your case. Change the backward slash to a forward slash, in case you want to run the experiment online.

BTW, it might not be a problem yet but PsychoPy/Pavlovia and cloud-drive do not go along well. So store the experiment some place else and on onedrive.

Best wishes Jens

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Thank you for your response!
It seems like in my case the problem was actually the naming of my files after all. I saved the files as .xlsx documents yet I was not aware that it was already saved as such (since I used a new laptop) and therefore the program read it as .xlsx.xlsx which was the error. I hope it helps others in case they also run into this:)