Universität Wien

200145 SE Anwendungsseminar: Geist und Gehirn (2018W)

Programming psychological experiments in Python

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 20 - Psychologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Anwendungsseminare können nur fürs Pflichtmodul B verwendet werden! Eine Verwendung fürs Modul A4 Freie Fächer ist nicht möglich.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 03.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 10.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 17.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 24.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 31.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 07.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 14.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 21.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 28.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 05.12. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 12.12. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 09.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 16.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 23.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618
  • Wednesday 30.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C Psychologie, NIG 6.Stock A0618

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course is a general introduction to the Python programming language and to the Python-based PsychoPy software package for experimental purposes (stimulus presentation, recording). Each lesson will cover only a few basic programming concepts or functionalities, using plenty of practical examples explained and/or solved together. While we will eventually focus on experimental aspects (PsychoPy), this course should in any case give a strong fundamental programming knowledge that allows easy further individual learning of other uses of Python (or of other programming languages as well).

Syllabus (approx.):
1. General introduction to Python. Main variable types, basic commands.
2. The random module. Lists, tuples, strings, and related methods.
3. IF – ELSE – conditional statements.
4. FOR and WHILE loops.
5. Dictionary variables.
6. Defining functions. Local and global variables.
7. Handling files and storing data. Exception handling. Classes.
8. Introduction to PsychoPy. Input through GUI and screen settings.
9. Presenting stimuli. Timing: the core module.
10. Monitoring and recording input: keyboard and mouse.
11. Practice: writing a script for a task together.
12. Statistics. Basic data processing and analysis.
13. Python libraries: NumPy, SciPy, Pandas.
14. Visualization in Python: Matpotlib library.
15. Practice, discussion of homework assignments, etc.

Assessment and permitted materials

The grading will be based on homework assignments (max 20 points, min. 10 to pass) and the writing of a relatively simple PsychoPy script for experimental presentation (max 80 points). Any sort of material or help may be used for writing your scripts, but it has to be written by you (and so of course you have to know what each function or line of code does).
Attendance: max. 3 absences.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

After most lessons, there will be some small script to write as homework. After each submission, I will give some feedback, and revisions will be possible.

The PsychoPy script will have to be written at the end of the course, and it may present any sort of well-known or totally original psychological task (e.g. an example taken from an article or otherwise a task for your own upcoming thesis).
However, it should include the following elements:
- Welcome screen and instructions (15 points)
- Presentation of stimuli according to the given task (25 points)
- Recording of responses (20 points)
- Optionally: feedback about the performance (max 10 extra points)
- End screen (5 points)
- Output saved in a file (15 points)
- Optionally: automatic preprocessing and/or analysis of results (max 15 extra points)

Alternatives may be possible (e.g. if you want to do some elaborate data analysis instead), but in that case first discuss it with me.

Grades:
>=50 points: 4
>=63 points: 3
>=75 points: 2
>=87 points: 1

Examination topics

Reading list

Material will be uploaded on moodle.

Recommended:
Dawson, Michael. Python programming for the absolute beginner. Cengage Learning, 2010.
http://www.psychopy.org/documentation.html
https://discourse.psychopy.org/
https://stackoverflow.com/
https://repl.it/languages/Python3
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UdPvUov3vWefVDgkg9CEs422JVVFvHq0RZejpEIk3qY/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WRBWTIVM0cuOY-inDy2yRvpyXnufsg4Z6NfwbjXFar8/edit

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:37