Procedures for Processing Asymmetry Experiments
1.) Hardware Set Up:
a. Obtain the following:
Sample of Uranium Ore Purchase Link, Geiger Counter Amazon Purchase Link, Arduino Board Amazon Purchase Link,
Wires Amazon Purchase Link
b. Set up the apparatus
Connect the GND on Arduino to the GND on the Geiger counter. Connect the 5V on Arduino to the 5V on the Geiger counter. Connect the VIN on the Geiger counter to the D2 on Arduino. Attached this circuitry to a base board so that it can be safely moved as a single unit. When you are ready to run a trial, connect the Arduino board to the laptop. Place the Geiger counter, Arduino board, and lap top into a sound insulated container such as a suitcase or a plastic storage bin lined with blankets. Put the uranium ore next to, or on top of, the Geiger counter. This hard ware set up is the same for all of the experiments listed here
2.) Software:
Arduino Code
These paradigms require bridging raw, physical quantum events with standard cognitive psychology testing software. The challenge lies in ensuring that the quantum data remains strictly shielded from biological observation until the exact moment of the trial. Achieving this requires a specific handshake between the physical hardware and the experimental software environments.
The Hardware-to-Computer Bridge. At the foundation of both paradigms is the hardware random number generator. The Gravity Geiger–Müller module outputs a simple digital voltage spike every time a radioactive decay event occurs. To translate these raw physical events into usable data, an Arduino microcontroller acts as the intermediary.
The Arduino is programmed to utilize hardware interrupts, which monitor the Geiger counter's digital output pin. This ensures that every individual decay event is tallied precisely, even in the background, without the microcontroller missing a beat. The Arduino script runs a timer to integrate these counts over a specified window (such as four seconds) and then applies the modulo mathematics to convert the raw tally into the final stimulus value (e.g., a number from 1 to 9, or a 0, 1, or 2). Once the mathematical conversion is complete, the Arduino pushes this final integer to the computer via a standard USB serial connection.
Study 1
Inquisit 7 Code
Implementing the Parity Task in Inquisit 7. For the subliminal priming and the symbolic parity studies, Inquisit 7 serves as the presentation engine. Inquisit utilizes a proprietary scripting language that relies heavily on predefined arrays and item lists. Because Inquisit compiles its stimulus lists prior to running a trial block, the quantum data must be loaded into the script before the participant sits at the keyboard.
Replicating this setup requires capturing the Arduino’s serial output into a raw text array. In the pre-observed control condition, the experimenter can simply view the generated numbers and paste them into the Inquisit script’s target item list. However, replicating the unobserved quantum condition requires that the must be captured and transferred into the Inquisit script using blind clipboard commands while the computer monitor is physically occluded. The script is designed to randomly interleave the pre-observed and unobserved stimulus lists. When the script executes, the computer pulls from these pre-loaded arrays, presenting the targets and recording the keyboard response times with millisecond precision.
Study 2:
PsychoPy Code
Implementing the Color Discrimination Task in PsychoPyThe color discrimination paradigm requires a much more dynamic, real-time software architecture. Because PsychoPy is built on Python, it allows for on-the-fly communication with external hardware during the actual experiment. This eliminates the need for manual data transfer and completely removes the experimenter from the loop.
To set up this interface, the PsychoPy script utilizes the pyserial library to open a direct communication port (COM port) with the Arduino. The experimental loop is designed so that during the dark inter-trial interval, the Python script sends a polling command to the Arduino. The Arduino immediately responds with the current quantum-derived integer (0, 1, or 2). PsychoPy parses this incoming serial byte, instantly updates the color variable of the visual stimulus patch (Red, Blue, or Green), and flips the screen to present the color to the participant.
Capturing the vocal reaction time in PsychoPy requires configuring an audio voice-key. Instead of waiting for a keyboard event, the script initializes the computer's microphone stream the moment the color appears on the screen. The software continuously monitors the audio input for a sudden amplitude spike. Once the participant speaks and the audio volume crosses a pre-defined threshold, the software logs the exact elapsed time and terminates the trial.
Arduino Code
These paradigms require bridging raw, physical quantum events with standard cognitive psychology testing software. The challenge lies in ensuring that the quantum data remains strictly shielded from biological observation until the exact moment of the trial. Achieving this requires a specific handshake between the physical hardware and the experimental software environments.
The Hardware-to-Computer Bridge. At the foundation of both paradigms is the hardware random number generator. The Gravity Geiger–Müller module outputs a simple digital voltage spike every time a radioactive decay event occurs. To translate these raw physical events into usable data, an Arduino microcontroller acts as the intermediary.
The Arduino is programmed to utilize hardware interrupts, which monitor the Geiger counter's digital output pin. This ensures that every individual decay event is tallied precisely, even in the background, without the microcontroller missing a beat. The Arduino script runs a timer to integrate these counts over a specified window (such as four seconds) and then applies the modulo mathematics to convert the raw tally into the final stimulus value (e.g., a number from 1 to 9, or a 0, 1, or 2). Once the mathematical conversion is complete, the Arduino pushes this final integer to the computer via a standard USB serial connection.
Study 1
Inquisit 7 Code
Implementing the Parity Task in Inquisit 7. For the subliminal priming and the symbolic parity studies, Inquisit 7 serves as the presentation engine. Inquisit utilizes a proprietary scripting language that relies heavily on predefined arrays and item lists. Because Inquisit compiles its stimulus lists prior to running a trial block, the quantum data must be loaded into the script before the participant sits at the keyboard.
Replicating this setup requires capturing the Arduino’s serial output into a raw text array. In the pre-observed control condition, the experimenter can simply view the generated numbers and paste them into the Inquisit script’s target item list. However, replicating the unobserved quantum condition requires that the must be captured and transferred into the Inquisit script using blind clipboard commands while the computer monitor is physically occluded. The script is designed to randomly interleave the pre-observed and unobserved stimulus lists. When the script executes, the computer pulls from these pre-loaded arrays, presenting the targets and recording the keyboard response times with millisecond precision.
Study 2:
PsychoPy Code
Implementing the Color Discrimination Task in PsychoPyThe color discrimination paradigm requires a much more dynamic, real-time software architecture. Because PsychoPy is built on Python, it allows for on-the-fly communication with external hardware during the actual experiment. This eliminates the need for manual data transfer and completely removes the experimenter from the loop.
To set up this interface, the PsychoPy script utilizes the pyserial library to open a direct communication port (COM port) with the Arduino. The experimental loop is designed so that during the dark inter-trial interval, the Python script sends a polling command to the Arduino. The Arduino immediately responds with the current quantum-derived integer (0, 1, or 2). PsychoPy parses this incoming serial byte, instantly updates the color variable of the visual stimulus patch (Red, Blue, or Green), and flips the screen to present the color to the participant.
Capturing the vocal reaction time in PsychoPy requires configuring an audio voice-key. Instead of waiting for a keyboard event, the script initializes the computer's microphone stream the moment the color appears on the screen. The software continuously monitors the audio input for a sudden amplitude spike. Once the participant speaks and the audio volume crosses a pre-defined threshold, the software logs the exact elapsed time and terminates the trial.