Danielle Daidone [deɪ.ˈdoʊn​]

PhD Candidate in Second Language Studies and Hispanic Linguistics, Indiana University

LATEST BLOG POSTS

Tips for recording stimuli

August 3, 2017

The recording list:
  • Make sure it's easy to read for the speakers (i.e. the font is 12pt or bigger).  I like to use 3 double-spaced columns per page.  You could also number the words.  
  • If the list is long (more than 2 pages), number the pages to avoid confusion and add titles for each part of the list (stimuli for AX, stimuli for lexical decision).  If they read the titles, this could help you later when cutting the sound files.
  • Oftentimes the last word of a list is said with different intonation (a final fall); repeat this word earlier in the list or at least have it be a filler.
  • Print the recording list one sided, or make sure they don't turn the page while speaking, since this will be audible.

Creating stimuli

July 11, 2017

Once you've chosen a perception task, it's time to make stimuli for it.  

How many stimuli do I need?
The answer to this question isn't simple.  You'll need to strike a balance between getting a sufficient amount of data and how long you can reasonably expect people to sit and do your experiment.  In our lab, we generally have to recruit participants with extra credit, the promise of snacks, and desperate pleas, so any experiment over an hour or an hour and 15 minutes is unlikely to have many people sign up.  If you can pay people they'll be more willing to do a longer experiment, but that means more money you'll have to shell out for each person.  Since your experiment is likely to be made up of two or more tasks, such as both discrimination and lexical decision plus a background questionnaire, each task in itself shouldn't be longer than about 25 minutes, if possible.  Shorter tasks will also prevent participants' attention from wandering too much, which means more reliable data.  A 20-minute AXB or oddity task is already very boring even with a break, and with difficult contrasts it can also be mentally taxing and demoralizing.  I know some psychology experiments have participants doing one repetitive task for an hour (how?!), but if you don't want participants to constantly time out on trials because they are falling asleep or trying to surreptitiously check their phones, keep it shorter. ​

ABOUT ME

My research focuses on second language phonology, with a particular emphasis on perception and lexical representations. I also work on input in the foreign language classroom, as well as variation in L1 and L2 Spanish.  When I'm not analyzing speech, you can find me dancing salsa (preferably on 2!) or escaping reality with a good book.
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CONTACT ME
ddaidone AT indiana DOT edu

UPDATES

The workshop materials Franzi Kruger and I presented at PSLLT 2018 for "Running experiments in a web browser using jsPsych" are available here.  These materials include an introduction to writing and debugging jsPsych scripts, as well as heavily annotated example scripts for various types of perception experiments.