Protocol Overview

February 20, 2015

This section will be completed when reviewed by an Expert Review Panel.

The Computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT-C) is an automated version of the original Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (Quinn et al., 1996), which requires the construction of a mirror box and multiple copies of polygons to be traced. The MTPT-C simplifies the administration and scoring of this task.

In this task, participants are required to trace a red dot along the lines of a geometric shape (e.g., star) using the computer’s mouse. However, the mouse moves the red dot in the reverse direction. Each time the participant moves the mouse out of the lines or hesitates for more than 2 seconds, a buzzer sounds, and the dot moves back to the beginning. Three progressively more difficult shapes are used. The first two rounds last 1 minute each, while the third round of the MTPT-C can last up to 7 minutes. Participants may terminate the task at any point during the third round by pressing on the space bar. Distress tolerance is measured by the latency in seconds to task termination. Additionally, the number of errors per second (i.e., number of times the participant has to return to the starting position during the task, divided by the task time) is recorded to control for effects of skill on persistence.

User can download the program for this task at:

caperlab.net/task-downloads

See above; online download of the program:

caperlab.net/task-downloads

Export Variables

Variable Name	Variable ID	Variable Description	Version	Mapping
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_ID	PX710701010000	What is the ID number of the session?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_Date	PX710701020000	What date did the session take place?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Session_Time	PX710701030000	What time did the session take place?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Subject_ID	PX710701040000	What is the subject's ID number?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Excited	PX710701050000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel excited?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Mad	PX710701060000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel mad?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Interested	PX710701070000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel interested?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Frustrated	PX710701080000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel frustrated?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Happy	PX710701090000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel happy?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Upset	PX710701100000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel upset?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Energetic	PX710701110000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel energetic?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Embarrassed	PX710701120000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel embarrassed?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Proud	PX710701130000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel proud?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Pre_Nervous	PX710701140000	(Before the test) To what extent do you feel nervous?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Error	PX710701150000	In easy mode, what is the total number of errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Offline_Error	PX710701160000	In easy mode, what is the number of times the subject traced outside the line?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Tooslow_Error	PX710701170000	In easy mode, what is the number of times it took the subject too long to trace the pattern?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Time	PX710701180000	In easy mode, what is the length in seconds it took the subject to complete the task?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Total_Distance	PX710701190000	In easy mode, what is the total distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Median_Distance	PX710701200000	In easy mode, what is the median distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Maximum_Percentage	PX710701210000	In easy mode, what is the maximum percentage (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Easy_Average_Width	PX710701220000	In easy mode, what is the average width in cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Error	PX710701230000	In medium mode, what is the total number of errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Offline_Error	PX710701240000	In medium mode, what is the number of times the subject traced outside the line?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Tooslow_Error	PX710701250000	In medium mode, what is the number of times it took the subject too long to trace the pattern?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Time	PX710701260000	In medium mode, what is the length in seconds it took the subject to complete the task?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Total_Distance	PX710701270000	In medium mode, what is the total distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Median_Distance	PX710701280000	In medium mode, what is the median distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Maximum_Percentage	PX710701290000	In medium mode, what is the maximum percentage (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Medium_Average_Width	PX710701300000	In medium mode, what is the average width in cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Error	PX710701310000	In hard mode, what is the total number of errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Offline_Error	PX710701320000	In hard mode, what is the number of times the subject traced outside the line?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Tooslow_Error	PX710701330000	In hard mode, what is the number of times it took the subject too long to trace the pattern?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Time	PX710701340000	In hard mode, what is the length in seconds it took the subject to complete the task?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Total_Distance	PX710701350000	In hard mode, what is the total distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Median_Distance	PX710701360000	In hard mode, what is the median distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Maximum_Percentage	PX710701370000	In hard mode, what is the maximum percentage (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Hard_Average_Width	PX710701380000	In hard mode, what is the average width in cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Excited	PX710701390000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel excited?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Mad	PX710701400000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel mad?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Interested	PX710701410000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel interested?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Frustrated	PX710701420000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel frustrated?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Happy	PX710701430000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel happy?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Upset	PX710701440000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel upset?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Energetic	PX710701450000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel energetic?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Embarrassed	PX710701460000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel embarrassed?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Proud	PX710701470000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel proud?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Post_Nervous	PX710701480000	(After the test) To what extent do you feel nervous?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Error	PX710701490000	In quit mode, what is the total number of errors (off line + too slow) committed by the subject?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Offline_Error	PX710701500000	In quit mode, what is the number of times the subject traced outside the line?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Tooslow_Error	PX710701510000	In quit mode, what is the number of times it took the subject too long to trace the pattern?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Time	PX710701520000	In quit mode, what is the length in seconds it took the subject to complete the task?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Total_Distance	PX710701530000	In quit mode, what is the total distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Median_Distance	PX710701540000	In quit mode, what is the median distance in cm of tracing?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Maximum_Percentage	PX710701550000	In quit mode, what is the maximum percentage (out of 100) of tracing around the entire star?	4	N/A
PX710701_Mirror_Tracing_Quit_Average_Width	PX710701560000	In quit mode, what is the average width in cm of the line of the pattern (based on initial titration step)?	4	N/A

Measure of distress tolerance, a personality trait that appears to be related to smoking and tobacco use and behaviors.

Computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT-C)
Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research (CAPER) website

Adult

English

Adults

None

Computer with a mouse. Instrument is available online.

Standard	Name	ID	Source
Common Data Elements (CDE)	Psychology Distress Tolerance Assessment Score	4719167	CDE Browser

Original Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT):

Quinn, E. P., Brandon, T. H., & Copeland, A. L. (1996). Is task persistence related to smoking and substance abuse? The application of learned industriousness theory to addictive behaviors. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 4, 186-190.

Validity of the MTPT:

Brandon, T. H., Herzog, T. A., Juliano, L., Irvin, J. E., Lazev, A., & Simmons, V. N. (2003). Pretreatment task-persistence predicts smoking cessation outcome. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 448-456.

Steinberg, M. L., Williams, J. M., Gandhi, K. K., Foulds, J., Epstein, E. E., & Brandon, T. H. (2012). Task persistence predicts smoking cessation in smokers with and without schizophrenia. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 26, 850-858.

Computerized Version:

Strong, D. R., Lejuez, C. W., Daughters, S., Marinello, M., Kahler, C. W., & Brown, R. A. (2003). The computerized mirror tracing task, version 1. Unpublished manual.

Program available for download: www.addiction.umd.edu/research.htm

Predictive validity, but not with smoking:

Daughters, S. B., Lejuez, C. W., Bornovaolova, M. A., Kahler, C. W., Strong, D. R., & Brown, R. A. (2005). Distress tolerance as a predictor of early treatment dropout in a residential substance abuse treatment facility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 114, 729-734.

Interviewer-administered questionnaire

None

Requirement Category	Required
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual	No
Major equipment	No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection	No
Specialized training	No

This section will be completed when reviewed by an Expert Review Panel.