Step-by-step guide

This gating experiment follows Individual Differences in Early Disambiguation of Prosodic Grouping by Hansen et al. We used PsychoPy to set up the experiment.

Follow the steps below in the given order to ensure a successful setup and execution.

1. GitHub

To download the project files from GitHub, follow these steps:

• Install Git on your computer by downloading it from the following link if you have a Windows system: https://git-scm.com/download/win

  • Choose 32 or 64-bit, whereas 64-bit is the most common one

• After installing Git, open the Command Prompt (CMD) on your computer.

2. Opening Windows Command Prompt

The Command Prompt is a program on Windows computers used to execute commands. To open it, follow these steps:

• Press Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Type cmd and press Enter.

3. Downloading Project Files from GitHub

• Navigate to the folder where you want to download the project files using the cd command in the Windows command prompt.
• Replace your_desired_folder with the path to the folder:
  • cd your_desired_folder (e.g. cd "C:\Users\Andrea_Hofmann\OneDrive\PhD\exp_gating")
• Clone the GitHub repository by running the following command:
  • git clone https://github.com/AndHofma/gating_task.git
  • The project files will be downloaded to a folder named after the repository within the specified folder.

4. Checking Python Installation and Version

• To check if Python is installed on your computer and determine its version, open the Windows Command Prompt (if not still open) and run the following command:
  • python --version
• If Python is installed, the command will display the installed version (e.g., "Python 3.8.15").
• If Python is not installed, the command will not be recognized.

5. Creating a Virtual Environment with Python 3.8

• To create a virtual environment with Python 3.8, first, make sure you have Python 3.8 installed on your computer.
• If not, download and install it for Windows (most commonly 64-bit): https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-3810/
• Open the Windows Command Prompt.
• Navigate to the project folder using the cd command.
• Replace your_project_folder with the path to your project folder:
  • cd your_project_folder (e.g. cd "C:\Users\Andrea_Hofmann\OneDrive\PhD\exp_gating\gating_task")
• Run the following command to create the virtual environment.
• Replace your_env_name with your desired name for the virtual environment (e.g. gating_env):
  • py -3.8 -m venv your_env_name (e.g. py -3.8 -m venv gating_env)
• After the virtual environment is created, activate it with the following command:
  • your_env_name\Scripts\activate (e.g. gating_env\Scripts\activate)

6. Installing Python Packages from requirements.txt

• To install the required Python packages from the requirements.txt file, run the following command in the activated virtual environment:
  • pip install -r requirements.txt
• This command will install all the necessary packages listed in the requirements.txt file.

6A. Checking for Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater and installing if necessary

• Some Python packages need Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or a newer version to work.
• If you get an error message, e.g. "Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is required." - you have o install the required tools and follow these steps:
  • a. Visit the following link to download the "Build Tools for Visual Studio":
    • https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools/
  • b. On the webpage, click on the "Download" button under "Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022".
  • c. Run the downloaded installer. During the installation process, make sure to choose the "C++ build tools" option. Additionally, ensure that "MSVC v142 - VS 2019 C++ x64/x86 build tools" or a later version and the "Windows 10 SDK" components are selected.
  • d. Continue with the installation. After it's finished, restart your computer to make sure the new tools are set up correctly on your system.
• These instructions will guide you through the process of installing the Microsoft C++ Build Tools, which include the necessary Microsoft Visual C++ version for your Python packages.

After finishing this step go back to step 6.

7. Running the Experiment

To start and run the experiment, follow these steps:

• Ensure the virtual environment is activated (you should see the virtual environment name in the command prompt).
• Navigate to the folder containing the main Python script for the experiment using the cd command, if you're not already there.
• Run the main Python script by typing the following command:
  • python gating_experiment.py

8. Experiment-Start

• First, a small dialogue window will appear.
• Enter the subject id and press "OK".
• The results will be recorded in the file "gating_phase_results_subject_ID_timestamp.csv" in the "results" folder.
• The randomization lists will be stored in the file "randomized_phase_stimuli.csv" and "randomized_phase_stimuli.pkl" in the "randomization_lists" folder.