Behavioural-experiment game with XML parameters and precise logging – measuring instrument for a PLoS ONE study (2011).
The participant guides a figure through a maze to a treasure – seemingly together with another player from the network, whose moves are in fact controlled by the computer. Red and blue gates drop onto the paths; with their own keys, players can open them for themselves or for the other player. In this way the game measures helping behaviour under different conditions, such as different costs of helping or distress cues from the blocked figure.
Trial types, time limits, the co-players’ fantasy names and all screen texts are configurable via an XML file. The game runs as a Windows application without a network connection and stores the results of every trial, including reaction times, for analysis.
The study was published in PLoS ONE in 2011: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017798.
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