PsychoPy

Last updated
PsychoPy
Developer(s) Jonathan Peirce
Initial release2003
Stable release
2025.1.1 [1] / 12 May 2025;4 months ago (12 May 2025)
Repository
Written in Python
Operating system Cross-platform
License GNU GPL v3+
Website www.psychopy.org   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

PsychoPy is an open source software package written in the Python programming language primarily for use in neuroscience and experimental psychology research. [2] [3] Developed initially as a Python library and then as an application with a graphical interface, it now also supports JavaScript outputs to run studies online and on mobile devices. Unlike most packages, it provides users with a choice of interface - they can generate experiments by writing Python scripts, use a graphical interface that will generate a script for them, or combine both methods. Its platform independence is achieved through use of the wxPython widget library for the application and OpenGL for graphics calls. It is also capable of generating and delivering auditory stimuli.

Contents

The project was initially supported only by volunteer code and forum contributions alongside grants from The Royal Society, The University of Nottingham, Wellcome Trust, and BBSRC project. [3] A 2018 grant from the Wellcome Trust allowed for hiring of a full-time staff. [4]

According to its usage statistics page, Psychopy was launched on more than 20,000 different computers in November, 2018, and has gained relative usage by month every year since its initial release in 2003. [5]

History and versions

PsychoPy is continually updated with 5-10 releases each year, containing new features and bug fixes. Here are some major releases in the history of PsychoPy:

Key people

A large number of people have contributed to the project over the years, in terms of code, [8] but also by supporting users on the community forum. [9] A few of the major contributors are listed below:

References

  1. psychopy. "Release PsychoPy 2025.1.1 · psychopy/psychopy" . Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  2. Peirce JW (May 2007). "PsychoPy--Psychophysics software in Python". Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 162 (1–2): 8–13. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.11.017 . PMC   2018741 . PMID   17254636. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. 1 2 Peirce JW (15 January 2009). "Generating Stimuli for Neuroscience Using PsychoPy". Frontiers in Neuroinformatics. 2: 10. doi: 10.3389/neuro.11.010.2008 . PMC   2636899 . PMID   19198666. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. "Wellcome Trust funding: PsychoPy is going properly online!". PsychoPy. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  5. 1 2 Peirce JW. "PsychoPy usage". Open Science Tools Ltd. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  6. "360Giving GrantNav". grantnav.threesixtygiving.org. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  7. "Changelog — PsychoPy v3.1". www.psychopy.org. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  8. "PsychoPy contributors". GitHub .
  9. "PsychoPy forum".