Text Component
The Text component displays formatted text content to participants. It's one of the most frequently used components, serving for instructions, stories, scenarios, explanations, and more.
Key Features
- Rich text formatting with HTML tags
- Dynamic content using variables
- Customizable styling and layout
- Automatic scrolling for long content
- Real-time validation of HTML in the editor
When to Use
Use the Text component when you need to:
- Provide instructions for a task
- Present a story or scenario
- Show explanations or educational content
- Display feedback based on participant actions
- Present static content that doesn't require interaction
Configuration
Basic Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Heading displayed above the content | (empty) |
| Content | Main text content with markdown support | (required) |
| Instructions | Secondary guidance text below the title | (empty) |
| Auto-advance | Whether to proceed automatically after viewing | false |
| Viewing Time | Required time to view before advancing (seconds) | 0 |
| Show Continue Button | Display a button to proceed to next state | true |
| Continue Button Text | Label for the continue button | "Continue" |
Styling Options
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Font Family | Text font | "System UI" |
| Font Size | Base text size | 16px |
| Text Color | Color of the main text | #333333 |
| Title Color | Color of the title text | #000000 |
| Background Color | Component background color | #ffffff |
| Width | Component width (px or %) | 80% |
| Height | Component height (px or %) | auto |
| Alignment | Text alignment | left |
| Padding | Space inside the component | 20px |
Using HTML Formatting
The text component supports basic HTML tags for rich text formatting. All HTML is sanitized for security - only safe formatting tags are allowed, and attributes are stripped.
Supported HTML Tags
| Tag | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
<b>, <strong> | Bold text | <b>important</b> |
<i>, <em> | Italic text | <i>emphasis</i> |
<u> | Underlined text | <u>underline</u> |
<s>, <strike> | Strikethrough text | <s>deleted</s> |
<h1> - <h6> | Headings | <h1>Title</h1> |
<p> | Paragraph | <p>A paragraph of text</p> |
<br> | Line break | Line 1<br>Line 2 |
<span> | Inline container | <span>grouped text</span> |
Example
<h1>Task Instructions</h1>
<p>In this task, you will see a series of images. For each image:</p>
<p>
1. Look at the image <b>carefully</b><br>
2. Consider how it makes you <i>feel</i><br>
3. Rate your emotional response
</p>
<p><u>Important:</u> Take your time with each response.</p>
What's NOT Allowed
For security, the following are automatically removed:
- Script tags:
<script>tags are stripped - Style attributes:
style="..."attributes are removed - Event handlers:
onclick,onload, etc. are removed - Other tags:
<div>,<iframe>,<img>, etc. are not supported
Editor Validation
When editing text in the experiment designer, you'll see real-time validation:
- Green checkmark: Valid HTML tags detected
- Orange warning: Unsupported tags (will be removed) or attributes (will be stripped)
- Red error: Unclosed tags that need fixing
Using Variables in Text
You can insert variable values into text content using single curly braces:
Hello, {participantName}!
Your score on the previous task was {score} out of {totalPossible}.
Today's date is {currentDate}.
This allows for personalized and dynamic content based on:
- Participant information
- Previous responses
- Experiment state
- Calculated values
Advanced Features
Combining HTML and Variables
You can combine HTML formatting with variable substitution:
<h2>Results for {participantName}</h2>
<p>Your score: <b>{score}</b> out of {totalPossible}</p>
<p><i>Thank you for participating!</i></p>
The variables are replaced first, then the HTML is rendered.
Text Timing
Control how participants interact with text:
- Minimum Time: Require participants to spend at least this long on the text
- Auto-Advance: Automatically proceed after a set time
- Continue Button Delay: Only show the continue button after a delay
- Reading Time Estimation: Automatically calculate viewing time based on word count
These features ensure participants adequately review the content.
Scrolling Text
For long content:
- Auto-Scroll: Automatically scroll text at a reading pace
- Scroll Tracking: Monitor how far participants scroll
- Completion Detection: Detect when a participant reaches the end
- Scroll Position Variables: Store how far a participant scrolled
These are useful for ensuring participants read all the material.
Examples
Basic Instructions
<h1>Task Instructions</h1>
<p>In this task, you will see a series of images. For each image:</p>
<p>
1. Look at the image carefully<br>
2. Consider how it makes you feel<br>
3. Rate your emotional response on the scale provided
</p>
<p>Click <b>"Begin"</b> when you're ready to start.</p>
Dynamic Feedback with Variables
<h1>Results Summary</h1>
<p>You correctly identified <b>{correctAnswers}</b> out of {totalQuestions} emotions.</p>
<p>Your strongest recognition was for <b>{bestEmotion}</b> emotions
({bestScore}% correct).</p>
<p>Your weakest recognition was for <b>{worstEmotion}</b> emotions
({worstScore}% correct).</p>
Scenario Presentation
<h2>The Job Interview Scenario</h2>
<p><i>Imagine you are waiting for an important job interview. You've arrived
15 minutes early and are sitting in the reception area.</i></p>
<p>
• You can see other candidates who appear well-prepared<br>
• The receptionist has informed you the interviewer is running late<br>
• You notice your heart rate increasing<br>
• You're thinking about your qualifications for the role
</p>
<p><b>How would you rate your anxiety in this situation?</b></p>
Best Practices
- Keep text concise: Be clear and direct, avoiding unnecessary words
- Use formatting effectively: Structure content with headings, lists, and emphasis
- Consider reading level: Adapt language to your participant population
- Test readability: Ensure text is legible on various screen sizes
- Provide clear instructions: Be explicit about what participants should do
- Use consistent styling: Maintain the same text format throughout your experiment
- Break up long content: Use headings, paragraphs, and lists for readability
- Avoid jargon: Use plain language unless technical terms are necessary
Component Combinations
The Text component works well combined with:
- Multiple Choice: Text provides context for questions
- Rating Scales: Text explains what to rate and why
- Video/Image: Text provides introduction or explanation for media
- Text Input: Text poses questions for written responses
Alternatives to Consider
- Image Component: When a visual representation would be more effective
- Video Component: For demonstrations or when engagement is critical
- Multiple Choice: When you need to confirm understanding through questions