Battery guide
Motor Learning Battery guide
Four tasks of motor sequence learning, implicit sequence learning, beat tapping and tracking, for motor learning research.
- Guide version
- 1.2.0
- Battery version
- 1.0.0
What it measures
Who it is for: Motor learning research.
It measures Motor sequence learning, Implicit sequence learning, Sensorimotor timing and Visuomotor tracking.
Processing speed: How quickly people take in information and respond.
Scores describe how a person performs on these tasks. Research use only.
Tests in order
The tests run in this order. A study started from the battery keeps the order and the settings.
1. Motor Sequence Task. Measures motor skill learning. Participants type the sequence 4 1 3 2 4 on the number keys with the left hand, as quickly and accurately as they can, in 12 trials of 30 seconds with 30 seconds of rest between them. The main score is the number of correct sequences per trial over the last three trials.
2. Serial Reaction Time. Measures implicit sequence learning. One of four boxes lights up and participants press its key. A repeating 10-step sequence is replaced by a random block near the end, and the slowdown in that block shows how much of the sequence was learned.
3. Beat Tapping Task. Measures how steadily people tap in time with a beat. Participants tap the space bar with a steady series of tones at two tempos, then keep tapping at the same pace after the tones stop. The main score is the variability of the taps' timing against the tones.
4. Pursuit Tracking Test. Measures eye-hand tracking. Participants keep a dot on a target that moves around a circle at three speeds, using a mouse or trackpad. The main score is the percent of time on target.
| Order | Test | Domain | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motor Sequence Task | Processing speed | 13 to 14 minutes |
| 2 | Serial Reaction Time | Processing speed | 3 to 4 minutes |
| 3 | Beat Tapping Task | Processing speed | 7 to 9 minutes |
| 4 | Pursuit Tracking Test | Processing speed | 5 to 7 minutes |
Time and devices
Allow about 34 minutes for the whole battery. The table gives each test's time.
The battery has timed tests. Participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad, and the timed tests run in full screen. Tablets and phones cannot run it.
On a desktop or laptop the screen must be at least 1024 by 700 pixels.
Some tests play sound, so participants need headphones.
Participants need Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
| Test | Timing | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Sequence Task | Timed | Desktop or laptop |
| Serial Reaction Time | Timed | Desktop or laptop |
| Beat Tapping Task | Timed | Desktop or laptop |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Timed | Desktop or laptop |
Languages
Runs in all eight participant languages.
How to give it
Start a study from the battery in the app. The tests, their order and their settings are already set and stay fixed. If you change, reorder or customize a test, the study becomes a custom study and no longer carries the battery.
Each test opens with its instructions. Participants see these:
Motor Sequence Task: Type the sequence on the screen over and over, as quickly and accurately as you can, with the fingers of your left hand.
Serial Reaction Time: Rest your fingers on D, F, J and K. When a box lights up, press its key as quickly and accurately as you can.
Beat Tapping Task: Tap the space bar in time with each tone. When the tones stop, keep tapping at the same pace until a low tone. Use wired headphones if you can: wireless headphones play sound late.
Pursuit Tracking Test: Keep the white dot on the red dot as it moves around the circle, for as much of the time as you can.
| Step | Before you invite participants |
|---|---|
| 1 | Use a desktop or laptop with a full keyboard, including the number keys, and a mouse or trackpad. |
| 2 | Ask participants to wear headphones, wired if they can: the beat tapping task plays tones, and wireless headphones play them late. |
| 3 | The motor sequence task is often retested after a night's sleep. To retest it, add a second visit to the study, such as the next morning: every visit runs all four tests, and the study keeps the battery. |
| 4 | Pilot the battery yourself: the four tasks take about 34 minutes. |
How each test is scored
The server scores each test when the participant finishes it. The primary score is the one the app compares with a norm. The other scores are reported with it.
Every result records its scoring version. For this battery they are Motor Sequence Task 1.0.0, Serial Reaction Time 2.0.0, Beat Tapping Task 1.0.0 and Pursuit Tracking Test 1.0.0.
| Test | Score | What it is | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Sequence Task | Sequences, Last Three Trials (primary) | Mean correct sequences per trial over the last three trials. | Higher is faster skilled typing |
| Motor Sequence Task | Sequences, First Three Trials | Mean correct sequences per trial over the first three trials. | Higher is faster early typing |
| Motor Sequence Task | Gain | Last three trials minus first three trials, in correct sequences per trial. | Positive values mean typing sped up with practice |
| Motor Sequence Task | Gain (%) | The gain as a percentage of the first three trials. | Positive values mean typing sped up with practice |
| Motor Sequence Task | Errors per Trial | Mean key presses per trial that were not part of a correct sequence. | Lower is more accurate |
| Motor Sequence Task | Error Rate (proportion) | Errors divided by all key presses, over all trials. | Lower is more accurate |
| Motor Sequence Task | Time Between Presses (ms) | Mean time between key presses inside correct sequences over the last three trials. | Lower is faster |
| Motor Sequence Task | Total Sequences | Correct sequences over all trials. | Higher is faster |
| Motor Sequence Task | Trials Completed (trials) | Trials with at least one key press. | Equal to the number of trials when none was missed |
| Motor Sequence Task | Missed Trials | Trials with no key press. | Above 0 means some trials were missed |
| Motor Sequence Task | Other Key Presses | Presses of keys other than 1 to 4 during trials. | Lower is better |
| Motor Sequence Task | Held Key Repeats | Key repeats produced by holding a key down instead of pressing it. | Lower is better |
| Motor Sequence Task | Early Presses | Presses in the first 100 ms of a trial, saved apart and not scored. | Lower is better |
| Serial Reaction Time | Sequence Learning Effect (ms, primary) | Random-block mean correct response time minus the mean of the neighboring sequence blocks. | Higher positive values suggest learning |
| Serial Reaction Time | Sequence Block RT (ms) | Mean of the correct response times in the sequence blocks before and after the random block. | Lower is faster |
| Serial Reaction Time | Random Block RT (ms) | Mean correct response time in the random block. | Informational |
| Serial Reaction Time | Accuracy (proportion) | Share of test trials answered with the key for the lit box. | Higher is better |
| Serial Reaction Time | Accuracy Learning Effect (proportion) | Accuracy in the neighboring sequence blocks minus accuracy in the random block. | Higher positive values suggest learning |
| Beat Tapping Task | Asynchrony Variability (ms, primary) | Standard deviation of tap minus tone within a round, over the scored tones with a tap, averaged over rounds. | Lower is steadier synchronization |
| Beat Tapping Task | Asynchrony Variability as a Percent of the Interval (%) | Each round's asynchrony standard deviation as a percent of its interval between tones, averaged over rounds. | Lower is steadier synchronization |
| Beat Tapping Task | Mean Asynchrony (ms) | Mean of tap minus tone, against each tone as the device reports it heard, averaged over rounds. | Usually negative: taps lead the tones |
| Beat Tapping Task | Mean Asynchrony Before the Output Delay (ms) | Mean of tap minus tone, against the moment the browser played each tone, before the output delay the device reports. | Informational |
| Beat Tapping Task | Asynchrony Variability, Faster Tempo (ms) | The asynchrony standard deviation over rounds at the shorter interval. | Lower is steadier synchronization |
| Beat Tapping Task | Asynchrony Variability, Slower Tempo (ms) | The asynchrony standard deviation over rounds at the longer interval. | Lower is steadier synchronization |
| Beat Tapping Task | Mean Asynchrony, Faster Tempo (ms) | The mean asynchrony over rounds at the shorter interval. | Usually negative: taps lead the tones |
| Beat Tapping Task | Mean Asynchrony, Slower Tempo (ms) | The mean asynchrony over rounds at the longer interval. | Usually negative: taps lead the tones |
| Beat Tapping Task | Continuation Variability | Standard deviation of the intervals between taps after the tones stopped, divided by their mean, averaged over rounds. | Lower is steadier timing without the beat |
| Beat Tapping Task | Continuation Variability, Faster Tempo | The continuation variability over rounds at the shorter interval. | Lower is steadier timing without the beat |
| Beat Tapping Task | Continuation Variability, Slower Tempo | The continuation variability over rounds at the longer interval. | Lower is steadier timing without the beat |
| Beat Tapping Task | Continuation Tempo | Mean interval between taps after the tones stopped, divided by the interval between the tones, averaged over rounds. | Under 1 means the tapping sped up |
| Beat Tapping Task | Lag-One Autocorrelation | Correlation of each interval between taps after the tones stopped with the interval before it, averaged over rounds. | Wing and Kristofferson's model predicts 0 to -0.5 |
| Beat Tapping Task | Timekeeper Variability (ms) | Wing and Kristofferson's timekeeper standard deviation, from the continuation intervals at each tempo, averaged over the tempos where the model holds. | Lower is steadier timing |
| Beat Tapping Task | Motor Variability (ms) | Wing and Kristofferson's motor delay standard deviation, from the same intervals. | Lower is steadier movement |
| Beat Tapping Task | Tones with a Tap (proportion) | Share of the scored tones with a tap within half an interval. | Under 0.8 is flagged; under 0.5 makes the session invalid |
| Beat Tapping Task | Extra Taps | Taps beyond the one nearest a tone within half an interval of it. | Informational |
| Beat Tapping Task | Anticipations | Presses less than 100 ms after the press before them, left out of the scores. | More than max(2, 20%) of presses makes the session invalid |
| Beat Tapping Task | Rounds with Focus Loss | Rounds during which the page lost focus, left out of the scores. | Above 0 is flagged for review |
| Beat Tapping Task | Output Delay (ms) | Median delay between the browser playing a tone and the device reporting it heard. | Set by the device; wireless headphones can add delay the device does not report |
| Beat Tapping Task | Rounds Scored with the Tones | Rounds with a tap on at least half their scored tones and no focus loss. | Informational |
| Beat Tapping Task | Rounds Scored after the Tones | Rounds with at least half their planned intervals after the tones stopped and no focus loss. | Informational |
| Beat Tapping Task | Rounds | Rounds in the scored run. | Informational |
| Beat Tapping Task | Headphone Check Passed | 1 when the headphone check before the test passed, 0 when it did not and the study's setting ran the test anyway. | 0 is flagged for review |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Time on Target (%, primary) | Time with the white dot's center within the target, as a percent of the time tracked, across all scored runs. | Higher means closer tracking |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Time on Target, Slow (%) | Time on target in the runs at 6 revolutions per minute. | Higher means closer tracking |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Time on Target, Medium (%) | Time on target in the runs at 12 revolutions per minute. | Higher means closer tracking |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Time on Target, Fast (%) | Time on target in the runs at 18 revolutions per minute. | Higher means closer tracking |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Distance from Target | Mean distance between the white dot and the target's center, divided by the target's radius, weighted by time. | Lower is closer; under 1 means on the target on average |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Practice Gain (%) | Time on target in the last round minus the first round, in percentage points. | Higher means more improvement with practice |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Runs Without Movement | Scored runs in which the pointer did not move. | Lower supports interpretation |
| Pursuit Tracking Test | Restarted Runs | Runs started again because the pointer left the window or the tab was hidden. | Lower supports interpretation |
Session quality rules
The app checks every session when it scores it and records one of four states.
An Invalid session stays in the study's results, labelled with its reason, and does not count toward norms.
A session can carry warnings and still be valid. The results list the warnings next to the scores.
| State | What it means |
|---|---|
| Norm-ready | The session passed every check and a norm exists for it, so the app can show a percentile. |
| Raw-only | The scores are usable, but the app shows no percentile. Typical reasons are no norm for the test, changed settings, or a warning that makes a comparison unfair, such as a restart or a screen too short for the display. |
| Invalid technical | The setup broke the timing or the task. Examples are leaving full screen, a browser tab that lost focus during a timed test, and long pauses. |
| Invalid behavioral | The responses suggest the task was not done as asked. Examples are a failed attention check, repeated switching away from the task, and accuracy at or below chance on a choice task. |
Published norms used
No published norm is used for any test in this battery.
ConductCognition also builds norms from its own participants. An age band of a test uses them once it holds at least 50 valid sessions on the same device and input type, run with standard settings and scored with the current scoring version. Sessions from paying customers' studies and from clinical or patient samples do not count.
A report shows a percentile only when the app has stored one for that session. Otherwise it shows the raw scores.
Every reference group covers ages 18 and over. No reference group covers a participant under 18, so their report shows raw scores only, and their sessions do not count toward norms.
How to cite
ConductScience, Inc. Motor Learning Battery guide, version 1.2.0. ConductCognition. https://conductcognition.com/batteries/motor-learning/guide
Cite the guide version you used. Name the battery version (1.0.0) and the scoring versions listed in this guide.