Movement tracking of psychological processes: A tutorial using mousetrap

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Computational Neuroscience
• Psychological Methods

Background:

• Traditional process-tracing methods primarily focus on information acquisition.
• Movement tracking uniquely captures the temporal dynamics of information integration and preference formation during decision-making.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for a comprehensive view of psychological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive tutorial on movement tracking for psychological processes using the mousetrap R package.
• To guide researchers through the entire research process, from study design to data interpretation.
• To demonstrate practical implementation of movement-tracking analysis with established and novel approaches.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing high-resolution tracking of hand or device movements (e.g., computer mouse) during choice tasks.
• Employing the mousetrap R package for data processing, analysis, and visualization.
• Applying both established and novel analytical techniques for movement-tracking data.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of movement-tracking analysis implementation using a representative example within the mousetrap package.
• Detailed explanations of the theoretical background and interpretation of movement-tracking data analysis steps.
• Provision of practical recommendations for researchers applying movement tracking.

Conclusions:

• Movement tracking, facilitated by tools like the mousetrap R package, provides valuable insights into the temporal dynamics of psychological processes.
• The tutorial equips researchers with the necessary knowledge and tools to conduct and interpret movement-tracking studies.
• This method enhances our understanding of information integration and preference formation in decision-making.