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Study Context Events
A Study Context Event is one of nine types of Support Event (Guidance Events, Branching Point Event, Calendarize Event, Event Iterations, Event Array, Study Context Events, Unspecified Support Events, Randomized Event, and Goodbye Event.
Context Specification refers to the physical setting of the research and the properties (natural or artificial/simulated) of that setting. Sometimes these properties are called "experimental conditions" or "study environment." At one extreme, the context of the study is completely natural and there are no attempts to control it, as in most survey designs. At the other extreme, the context is created FOR the study and is carefully controlled throughout the study, as in many laboratory experiments. An example of a context designed and conducted explicitly for a study of juror behavior would be a simulated criminal trial, sometimes called a "mock trial." Context construction must be done before sessions begin and data is collected.
To create the context specification support event, click on the Events tab. Click on Create in the Event Specification Table. Click on "Support" and then "Context Specification Event." Note that a new event called "New Context Specification Support Event" now appears in the six column table called "Event Specification Table." In this table, the first (narrow) column contains an "S" in a circle indicating that this is a "Support Event." The "Event Type" (second column) is "Study Context." Click on the temporary label "New Guidance Support Event" and enter the name you wish to call this event. For example, it might be "Instructions Trial Context."
Scroll down to the Instrument Construction Area, which will have the name of your context specification event at the top. In the text box with the instruction "Define Study Condition Below," click on Actions and then on New. Name this first condition and enter complete instructions for creating that condition. For example, you might write "Set ambient room temperature at 20 degrees C and maintain through out session. If your study requires more than one condition, repeat the above. For example, you might write "Set ambient lighting to such and such."