leftArrow

Experiments

leftArrow sets the text label displayed under a fixed left-pointing arrow image during CFPT (Cambridge Face Perception Test style) sorting trials, i.e. trials whose test column is CFPT. The arrow pair visually marks the two ends of the sortable row of stimuli (for example “most similar” on the left, “least similar” on the right). It is a purely decorative/instructional label, not a response option, and it only has an effect on CFPT trials, whether their stimuli are images or words. On any other trial type the column does nothing.

Syntax

Type the label you want under the left arrow, for example most similar.

Any free text is accepted. HTML markup in the cell is rendered as markup, so <b>youngest</b> shows in bold.

Unlike topLeft and topRight, dynamic %...% variables are not substituted in this column: they would appear on screen exactly as typed.

Options

Value	Effect
any non-empty text (or HTML)	Rendered as the label under the left arrow image on CFPT trials
empty cell	No label text is written; the space under the left arrow stays empty. The arrow images still appear (see Tips & gotchas)

There are no keywords: whatever you type is shown as text.

Defaults & missing values

Leave the column out of the trial file, or leave a cell empty, and no label is drawn under the left arrow. On CFPT trials the arrow image itself still appears, just without text underneath.

Column headers are matched case-insensitively, so leftarrow and LeftArrow both work.

Works with

• test: only trials set to CFPT show the arrows. Trials set to CFPT2 ignore this column.
• rightArrow: the label for the other end of the row, shown alongside this one.
• presTime: sets the CFPT countdown displayed in the top-right corner. The arrows stay visible for the whole trial and disappear when the trial ends.
• Position and size are fixed: the arrow image sits in the lower part of the display with its label just underneath, aligned to the left edge. You cannot move or resize either from the trial file.

Examples

CFPT sorting trial with labeled endpoints (semicolons as CSV separators shown as commas here):

test	stim1	stim2	stim3	sort1	sort2	sort3	presTime	leftArrow	rightArrow
CFPT	face_a	face_b	face_c	face_b	face_c	face_a	60000	most similar	least similar

Arrows with no labels (arrow images still shown, no text underneath):

test	stim1	stim2	sort1	sort2	presTime	leftArrow	rightArrow
CFPT	word_one	word_two	word_two	word_one	30000

HTML in the label (rendered as markup):

test	stim1	stim2	sort1	sort2	presTime	leftArrow	rightArrow
CFPT	img1	img2	img2	img1	45000	<b>youngest</b>	<b>oldest</b>

Tips & gotchas

Caution

The arrow images always appear on CFPT trials. Leaving leftArrow and rightArrow empty removes the labels only; these columns cannot hide the arrows themselves.

• Dynamic %...% variables are shown literally in arrow labels. Use topLeft or topRight if you need text that changes with the participant’s performance.
• The arrows appear only on CFPT trials presented on a single screen. A CFPT trial split across several screens never shows them.