Input Object

The Input Object collects free-form responses from participants during an experiment. It supports five input types: number, text, date, time, and color. The response is stored in a linked variable and recorded automatically at the end of each trial. You can configure validation rules, display placeholder text to guide participants before they begin typing, and control the element via events.

Adding the Input Object

In the task editor toolbar, open the Question Inputs group and select Input to add an Input Object to the current frame.

When the element is added, Labvanced prompts you to name the variable that will store the participant's response. Give it a descriptive name that reflects the data being collected (for example, response_text or age).

Input Types

Select the input type in the Object Properties panel. The linked variable's data type is set automatically to match.

Properties

Placeholder Text

Placeholder text appears inside the input field when it is empty, before the participant starts typing. It disappears as soon as the participant begins entering a value.

To enable it:

1. In the Object Properties panel, enable Enable Placeholder.
2. Enter the desired text in the Placeholder Text field.

Use placeholder text to give participants a format hint (for example, Enter a number between 1 and 100) or a short instruction, without taking up space above the field with a full label.

Note: Placeholder text is not recorded as a response. It is display-only and does not affect the variable value.

Validation

The Input Object includes built-in validation options to ensure participants provide usable data before proceeding.

Required field: Enable Is Required to prevent frame or page submission until the field contains a valid, non-empty value. If a participant attempts to proceed without filling in a required field, the field is highlighted.

Numeric range: For number inputs, set Min Value and Max Value to clamp accepted entries. If a participant enters a value outside the range and then leaves the field, the value is automatically corrected to the nearest boundary.

Character length: For text inputs, set Min Nr Chars and Max Nr Chars to enforce length constraints. These are checked when Is Required is enabled.

Variable Integration

Each Input Object is linked to one global variable, created when you add the element. The variable stores the participant's current response value and is recorded at trial end.

The variable data type is set automatically based on the input type selected:

• number → Numeric variable
• text → String variable
• date → Datetime variable
• time → Time variable
• color → String variable

To relink the element to a different variable, use the variable selector in the Object Properties panel.

Events Integration

The Input Object works with events in two ways: as a trigger target and as an action target.

Triggering events from the Input Object

The Enter On Input trigger fires when the participant presses Enter or Return while the input field is focused. Add your Input Object under Targets: in the trigger config.

Example: submit the frame when the participant presses Enter

Trigger: Enter On Input → Targets: add your Input Object Action: Jump to Next Frame

Controlling the Input Object via actions

Two properties are modifiable at runtime via the Set Object Property action:

Example: focus the input field when the frame starts

Trigger: On Frame StartAction: Set Object Property → Set Target: your Input Object → property: Focused → value: true

Example: make the field required based on a prior response

Trigger: Variable Value Changed → your condition variable Action: Set Object Property → Set Target: your Input Object → property: required → value: true

You can also read the current response value from the linked variable in any event action, for example to branch experiment flow based on what the participant has typed.

Further Reading