Spaceships and Aliens game is an online implementation of the original two-stage task paradigm.
The two-step task, or the "two-stage" task, is an experiment designed to assess decision-making processes in the study of reinforcement learning (e.g. model-free and model-based inference approaches), and behavioral pathologies such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and gambling disorder.
Participants are tasked with navigating a two-stage decision-making process involving choices between different options, with the goal of maximizing point accumulation through strategic selections.
The Two-Step Task Game simulates a resource-gathering mission where participants act as astronauts tasked with collecting valuable gems from alien traders. The game consists of two stages:
- Rocket Selection (Stage 1)
- Alien Trader Selection (Stage 2)
Participants will make 150 selections throughout the game, which are tracked to measure decision-making efficiency and adaptability.
Objective: Choose between two rockets to travel to one of two planets.
Mechanics: Each rocket is associated with a probabilistic outcome of landing on one of the two planets. The association between rockets and planets is not fixed and varies probabilistically.
Controls: LEFT ARROW key: Selects the left rocket. RIGHT ARROW key: Selects the right rocket.
Objective: Upon arriving at a planet, choose between two alien traders.
Probability Likelihoods: In stage 2, the player's choices (A, B, C, or D) influence the likelihood of different outcomes. The stage2Options object defines these likelihoods using arrays of probabilities.
Rewards: Players can either find a gem (+100 points) or dirt (0 points). The alien traders offer either valuable gems or non-valuable dirt. The distribution of gems and dirt varies over time, introducing dynamic changes to the trading environment.
Controls: LEFT ARROW key: Selects the left alien trader. RIGHT ARROW key: Selects the right alien trader.
For data collection: Visit the game linked in the project description.
To modify game specifications: Please refer to the WIKI for making code modifications and deployment.
For data collection purposes, this game is designed to be run on Google Chrome browser only. Automated data download feature will not work on other browsers (e.g. Safari).
Data will be automatically downloaded to the user's local computer when exiting the screen/window/tab, or when the experiment is completed, whichever occurs first.