Reaction Test — Colors (Level 2)

About the Colors Reaction Test (Level 2)

This task blends choice reaction and response inhibition. You react differently depending on the cue (green vs red) and suppress actions when the cue demands it (orange). That combination stresses selective attention, action selection, and inhibitory control—core parts of executive function.

What it Measures

• Choice reaction speed: time to map a visual cue to the correct key (perceptual decision + motor execution).
• Accuracy: how reliably you pick the right response under time pressure.
• Inhibitory control: ability to withhold an action when the rule says “do nothing”.

How the Score Works

The live Score increases with each correct response. Average reaction time is computed from green and red trials only (orange trials measure inhibition, not speed). After you complete the selected number of changes, the session is saved to your local history and to the shared “Your results” store on this device.

Tips for Better Results

• Keep your thumbs on Space and Enter so there is no “search” time.
• Don’t chase single fast reactions—aim for a steady rhythm with few errors.
• Increase rounds gradually (15 → 30 → 45) as your accuracy stabilizes above ~90%.
• Short breaks help more than pushing through fatigue; attention degrades quietly.

Science Snapshot

Choice tasks recruit a visual pathway (retina → LGN → V1/V4) for color processing and a fronto-parietal network for rule selection. Motor execution runs via premotor/motor cortex and corticospinal tracts. Orange “no-go” trials engage inhibitory control circuits (including right inferior frontal gyrus) that suppress prepotent responses. The classic trade-off emerges: pushing speed increases error rate.

Common Mistakes

• Anticipation: pressing before the color appears. Wait for the actual stimulus.
• Key confusion: mixing up Space/Enter. Rehearse the mapping aloud for a few seconds.
• Over-focusing on time: shaving a few ms at the cost of many errors tanks overall performance.

FAQ

Q: Are my results public?
A: No. Results are saved locally on this browser. The shared “Your results” store is also local to this device.

Q: Why are orange trials slower?
A: They don’t record a time; they test whether you can inhibit responding for ~1.2 s. Failing to inhibit is counted as an error.

Q: What’s a “good” reaction time?
A: Typical simple reaction times are ~220–280 ms on laptops; choice mappings add overhead. Your hardware and focus matter a lot.

Disclaimer: This is a quick cognitive task for personal insight and training—not a medical assessment.