A rapid serial visual presentation task in which participants detect a target letter embedded in a fast stream.
Configure parameters and run an interactive preview exactly as participants will experience it. No data is recorded.
Adjust parameters below, then start the preview on the right.
Include practice trials
Shown with feedback before the main task
Task parameters
Outputs: hit rate, false alarm rate, hit RT. A tap 100–1000 ms after a target appears is a hit; any other tap is a false alarm.
This is a researcher preview. No participant data is recorded.
Simulated participant view
A rapid serial visual presentation task in which participants detect a target letter embedded in a fast stream.
No data is recorded
Letters flash at the centre of the screen one at a time. The participant taps whenever the designated target letter appears.
Useful for measuring sustained and selective attention under time pressure. A good complement to reaction time tasks when momentary vigilance is the target construct.
Less suitable for participants with significant visual impairment or when very small screens are used, because the rapid stream depends on consistent visual acuity.
Calibrate item rate to participant population. Slower rates (200–250 ms) reduce difficulty; faster rates (100–150 ms) increase attentional demand. A tap counts as a hit when it comes 100–1000 ms after a target appears on screen; every other tap counts as a false alarm. Targets look like every other letter, so they must be recognised by identity.
A ±1 item detection window is applied to account for motor response latency. Hit rate and false alarm rate together form a signal-detection metric (d′).
Add RSVP Target Detection to your ESM study on SMAAT — free to get started.