Consent form for participation in this online experiment

Study Information

Thank you for your interest in our study. Please read the following information carefully. Your participation in this research is voluntary. It is your choice whether to participate or not. Please do not hesitate to write to us at valerio[dot]rubino[at]gmail.com if you have any further questions regarding the study.

1. Purpose

In this study we investigate compositionality -- that is to say, the human capacity to combine simple elements together to understand or produce complex patterns. More specifically, we are interested in characterizing the influence of time pressure on the ability to grasp sequences that are generated by a combination of simpler building blocks.

2. Procedure

In the following, you will receive detailed information regarding the procedure of the study.

At first, you will be presented with the instructions to succeed at your task. Then, you will have some practice rounds; you will be able to skip the training phase and reach the experiment proper once you successfully complete two rounds.

In each round, you will have to discover the correct path to your goal; furthermore, each round will be either time-unbounded or time-limited -- more about this in the instructions on the next page.

The duration of the experiment depends on your speed in completing the tasks; on average, it takes 30 minutes.

3. Compensation

You will receive £3.75 for your participation (base fee) and up to £7.50 in total depending on your performance (base fee + bonus).

4. Data protection

Once we have awarded you your bonus payment, your Prolific ID will be deleted from the study data. The experiment data will be stored under a randomly assigned participant number on a server at the University of Tübingen. This means that it will become impossible to link the study data to you. All data collected during this study will be treated confidentially and all individuals with access to your personal data are obliged to maintain data secrecy. We are not responsible for the handling of your personal data using the Prolific platform The study data may also be made publicly accessible via research databases or scientific publications (typically via the internet). This makes it possible for other researchers to check or replicate the results and enhances the quality of scientific research. The study data may also be used for new research questions going beyond the purposes of this particular study. The data is stored anonymously, treated confidentially, and used only for scientific purposes. You are free to withdraw, in which case recorded data will not be used (cf. point 6).

5. Voluntary participation

Your participation in this research is entirely voluntary. There will be no repercussions when canceling your participation.

6. Right to refuse or withdraw

You do not have to take part in this study if you do not wish to do so. You are free to withdraw your consent and do not need to provide a reason for your withdrawal. Participants who drop out of the study for any reason (e.g., technical issues) are eligible for full or partial compensation. Please contact valerio[dot]rubino[at]gmail.com and include a screenshot of the experiment website if possible. If you withdraw from the study before data collection is completed, your data will not be used. If you withdraw from the study after completing the study, but before bonus payments have been processed, you can request the deletion of your data. After the processing of bonus payments, your Prolific ID will be removed from the study data and it will be fully anonymized, making it not possible to link you with your data.

7. Risks

Your participation does not involve any physical or emotional risk to you. You are free to withdraw at any time.

8. Insurance coverage

Not necessary for participating in this study.

9. Responsible contact

If you have questions or if there are any problems, please contact valerio[dot]rubino[at]gmail.com. You can also use this email to request the withdrawal of your data.

Consent

By clicking on the button below, you agree to the following:

  • I have read and understood the conditions outlined above. I consent to participate in the study and agree to the collection, storage, and use of my data as described above.



Instructions

Welcome!

Please read the following instructions very carefully.

In this game, you will navigate a series of mazes. Starting from the blue tile at the bottom, your goal is to reach the upper row of green tiles. You will navigate by pressing the up, left, and right arrow keys on your keyboard. Once you move on the grid, the blue tile will indicate your current location.



Instructions

But beware! Each maze can only be navigated using a single hidden path! We show one example in grey below:



Instructions

Each time you step off the hidden path, you will lose one life and the incorrect tile will be colored red.
The more lives you finish with at the end of each maze, the more money you will earn in performance bonus.



Instructions

There are two types of mazes:

  • In unlimited-time mazes, you can take as much time as you like to solve each maze.
  • In limited-time mazes you will only have to complete the maze. If you manage to complete it in time, your score will be doubled! However, if you don't complete it within the limit, you forfeit your score on that maze.
Limited time mazes will be marked by this icon:


Instructions

Navigating the mazes is more than just guess work! Each path is constructed by combining building blocks. Each building block consists of a sequence of four actions.

For instance, one building block is "left-left-up-up".

To advance in the path, you will have to follow the sequence of actions, in the correct order, starting from your current location (i.e. the white square). Here are all possible building blocks:



Instructions

In each maze, two building blocks are randomly selected. Let’s call them A and B, where A might be "left-left-up-up" and B "up-right-up-up".

These two building blocks are then combined in a sequence to form a path to the goal. For instance, two sequences might be AAAAABBA and AAABABAA.

To guide your way through the maze, try to figure out which building blocks are used and how they are combined to make smart guesses and avoid losing lives! Everytime you successfully complete a building block, it will briefly turn blue


Instructions

Click on the button below to proceed to a simple comprehension check.

Once you answer the three questions correctly, you will have a short training phase to familiarize yourself with the task. After completing two consecutive mazes without losing all of your lives you will begin the experiment. Good luck!




Comprehension check

Please answer a few questions about this study before proceeding

What is your goal in this task?

What does the hourglass icon mean?

How is each maze designed?

Only when you answered all the question correctly will you be able to start the training rounds.

Great job!

Now, you can start the training. Here, you have to complete two consecutive rounds to get to the experiment proper.



Great job!

Now, you will begin the experiment. You will complete 40 rounds to complete the experiment.

If you are ready to start, press Spacebar.

You won!

Press Spacebar when you are ready.

You lost :(

Press Spacebar when you are ready.

Thank you for completing our study.


Please type your Prolific ID. If not entered correctly, you may not be able to receive your bonus.

Prolific:


How old are you?

What's your gender?
Female
Male
Other

Please let us know what strategies you used:


You are now done with the experiment.

To complete the study, either use the following link to get directly back to Prolific
Direct link back to Prolific.
Completion code:
C1DWIHAS