Listeners routinely perceive phonetic speech signals which are made up of acoustic detail belonging to multiple continuous physical dimensions (e.g. Finally, we present a list of recommendations to assist researchers in addressing their own research question using movement tracking of cognitive processes. Using a representative working example, we will demonstrate how the various steps of movement tracking analysis can be implemented with mousetrap and provide thorough explanations on their theoretical background and interpretation. We will address all steps of the research process from design to interpretation, with a particular focus on data processing and analysis. In this article, we present a tutorial to movement tracking of cognitive processes with the mousetrap R package. In contrast to other process tracing methods, which mostly focus on information acquisition, movement tracking focuses on the processes of information integration and preference formation. The method involves high-resolution tracking of the hand or handheld devices, e.g., a computer mouse, while they are used to make a choice.
Movement tracking is a novel process tracing method promising unique access to the temporal dynamics of cognitive processes. We provide recommendations for future best practices in mouse-tracking studies and consider how best to standardize the mouse-tracking literature without excessively constraining the methodological flexibility that is essential to the field. This survey reveals that there is room for improvement in reporting practices, especially of subtler design features that researchers may have assumed would not impact research results (e.g., Cursor speed). We conducted a systematic review of the mouse-tracking literature to survey the reporting and spread of mouse variables (Cursor speed, Sampling rate), physical characteris-tics of the experiments (Stimulus position, Response box position) and response requirements (Start procedure, Response procedure, Response deadline). Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated effects of experimental design features on a number of mouse-tracking outcomes. Researchers have demonstrated considerable ingenuity in the application of the approach, but the methodology has not undergone systematic analysis to facilitate the development of best practices. Mouse cursor tracking has become a prominent method for characterizing cognitive processes, used in a wide variety of domains of psychological science.
Cursorsense license id software#
All methodological designs and analyses were implemented using open-source software and are available from. Because trajectory curvature and shape are frequently used to make inferences about psychological theories, such as differentiating between dynamic and dual-system models, this study shows that the specific design must be carefully considered when drawing theoretical inferences. Moreover, the distribution of curvature indices was classified as bimodal in some setups and as unimodal in others. For example, a dynamic start led to mostly curved trajectories, responses via click led to a mix of straight and “change-of-mind” trajectories, and responses via touch led to mostly straight trajectories. Trajectory shapes also differed between setups. Specifically, it was larger when participants indicated responses via click and when they were instructed to initialize the movement early. The core finding that mouse movements deviate more toward the nonchosen option for atypical exemplars was replicated in all conditions. In separate experiments, we manipulated the response indication, mouse sensitivity, and starting procedure. We systematically investigated the influences of three central design factors, using a classic mouse-tracking paradigm in which participants classified typical and atypical exemplars. Hitherto, numerous different settings have been employed, but little is known about how these methodological differences affect mouse-tracking data.
When creating mouse-tracking experiments, researchers face many design choices-for example, whether participants indicate responses by clicking a button or just by entering the button area. Investigating cognitive processes by analyzing mouse movements has become a popular method in many psychological disciplines.