Attention & Processing Speed30–90 secBurden: LowEMA: High

Reaction Time

A brief tap-based task that measures basic response speed and alertness.

AttentionProcessing speed
Category
Attention & Processing Speed
Typical duration
30–90 sec
Participant burden
Low
EMA suitability
High

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Configure parameters and run an interactive preview exactly as participants will experience it. No data is recorded.

Configure preview

Adjust parameters below, then start the preview on the right.

Include practice trials

Shown with feedback before the main task

Task parameters

30–90 secBurden: LowEMA: High

This is a researcher preview. No participant data is recorded.

Simulated participant view

9:41

Reaction Time

A brief tap-based task that measures basic response speed and alertness.

No data is recorded

Participant experience on smartphone

Single central stimulus with one tap response.

When to use

Useful for fatigue, sleep, stress, intervention, and momentary attention studies where repeated low-burden measurement is needed.

When not to use

Not ideal as a standalone measure of higher-order cognition or in studies that need strong construct specificity beyond alertness and motor response speed.

How to use in a study

Use short sessions with practice enabled for first exposure. Keep the response target large and use random interstimulus intervals.

Researcher-configurable parameters

  • Number of trials
  • Minimum and maximum interstimulus interval
  • Practice enabled / disabled
  • Stimulus style
  • Timeout duration

Outputs collected

  • Median reaction time
  • Reaction time variability
  • Premature responses
  • Missed responses

Interpretation notes

Sensitive to fatigue, distraction, and context. Most informative in repeated-measures designs rather than one-off interpretation.

Scientific evidence

  • Widely used in mobile cognitive assessment as a feasible low-burden attentional measure.
  • Suitable for repeated ecological assessment because of short duration and simple interaction.

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