Resources for using PsyToolkit
Resources for PsyToolkit has been divided in three topics:- Information on installing Linux
- Information on software useful for PsyToolkit
- Information about external devices (keyboards, monitors, etc)
- Relevant scientific references
Installing and using Linux
Installing Linux can be difficult or easy. It depends on what you want exactly. Some distributions focus on easy of installation and use. The Ubuntu Linux distribution makes installation easy, but there are other great distributions as well. Distrowatch.com gives an overview.Information on software useful for PsyToolkit
There are a number of useful packages for PsyToolkit, in particular software for statistical analysis and software for drawing stimuli.Data analysis using R
R is a free statistical software package. It is supported and maintained by a large group of people, including top statisticians.There is good documentation on how to use R for typical analysis in psychology: R in psychology and J. Baron's R help page.
Drawing programs
Creating visual stimuli often requires drawing programs. There are several free drawing programs available for Linux. My favorite is Inkscape.Online surveys
PsyToolkit has its own simple questionnaire presenter (PsyQuest), but if you want to do an online survey (which really is beyond the scope of PsyToolkit), you should have a look at the award winning, free, and open source survey software Lime Survey. Lime Survey is easy to use and has excellent online documentation.A long list of software for psychologists
A helpful list of resources can be found on the Encyclopedia of Psychology.This list includes other software packages. Further, there is an excellent WikiPedia article on experimental software.
Information about external devices (keyboards, monitors, etc)
It is good to know a little bit more about the devices you use for measuring responses and presenting stimuli.How monitors work
The way monitors work limits the speed with which you can present stimuli. In case you are interested, here you can read more about how monitors work, and how the vsync works.External hardware
If you want to attach IO boards to your computer, there are several options in Linux. I have good experience with Measurement Computer (a.k.a. ComputerBoards) cards. I use the Linux drivers provided by Warren Jasper.His drivers are excellent, and are very easy to install and to use. If you want to install these drivers on a Ubuntu system, make sure you install the packages gcc, make, and linux-headers (using the synaptic package manager).
Another option is to use the regular parallel port (PP). It is also easy, but your options are somewhat more limited than with other IO boards. But the PP is fine for turning LEDs on and off, or reading key strokes from a special-purpose keyboard.
Finally, I have received support from Cedrus and ioLab to make PsyToolkit work with their keyboards.
Relevant literature on timing
Finney, S. A. (2001). Real-time data collection in Linux: A case study. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 33, pp. 167-173Shimizu, H. (2002). Measuring keyboard response delays by comparing keyboard and joystick inputs. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 34, pp. 250-256.
Stoet, G. (2010). PsyToolkit - A software package for programming psychological experiments using Linux. Behavior Research Methods, 42(4), pp. 1096-1104. pdf version
Ulrich, R., & Giray, M. (1989). Time resolution of clocks: Effects on reaction time measurement—Good news for bad clocks. British Journal of Mathematical & Statistical Psychology, 42, pp. 1-12.