Processing Speed
Fitts Pointing Task
Also called: Fitts's law task, multidirectional tapping task, reciprocal pointing task
Measure aimed movement as participants click circles around a ring at three sizes and three distances, scored as throughput in bits per second.
4-6 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
Free to start: 10 free participants per account, then $0.99 per participant for academic research, or any yearly plan. Preview any test free after you sign up.
- Papers, 2021 to 2025
- 138
- Evidence grade
- C
- Registered clinical studies
- 8
What it measures
Measures aimed movement. Participants click circles around a ring, at three sizes and three distances, with a mouse or trackpad. The main score is throughput in bits per second, which combines speed and accuracy.
Constructs
- Aimed movement
- Speed-accuracy tradeoff
- Motor control
- Visuomotor coordination
Research uses
- Motor control research
- Aging research
- Pointing device and interface research
- Within-study group comparison
How the paradigm works
The Fitts pointing task measures aimed movement: how fast and how accurately a person moves a pointer onto a target. Fitts (1954) found that movement time grows in a straight line with the index of difficulty, a base 2 logarithm of the ratio of distance to width. This version uses the multidirectional form of ISO 9241-9 as described by Soukoreff and MacKenzie (2004), with a mouse or trackpad and the usual pointer. Each set shows 11 circles evenly spaced on a ring. The participant clicks the red circle, and the circle across the ring turns red next, until the set returns to its first circle; the first click starts the set, so each set has 11 timed movements. A click that misses still moves the set on.
More about the paradigm
After one practice set, the test has 2 rounds of nine sets: three movement distances (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 of the screen's shorter side) crossed with three circle widths (0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 of it), in an order drawn from the session's seed, for a nominal index of difficulty from 1.6 to 4.6 bits. Participants are asked to work as quickly and accurately as they can. The hits of each set show for a second after it. Each movement saves its time from the click before and where the click landed along and across the movement's axis. If the pointer leaves the window or the tab is hidden, the set starts again. A study can set 1 to 4 rounds.
The main score is throughput in bits per second (Soukoreff and MacKenzie, 2004). For each distance and width pair, the effective width is 4.133 times the SD of the clicks along the axis, the effective index of difficulty is log2(distance moved / effective width + 1), and throughput is that index over the mean movement time; the score is the mean over the nine pairs. Because the effective width follows the actual spread of clicks, throughput combines speed and accuracy and is meant to change less with how a participant trades one for the other. The test also reports the slope and intercept of movement time on the nominal index of difficulty, the share of clicks that missed and the median movement time. Movements shorter than half the distance, and clicks more than two circle widths from the target along the axis, are left out as accidental. The scores support research and do not diagnose.
Scores
- Throughputbits/s
- The mean over the nine distance and width pairs of the effective index of difficulty over the mean movement time.
- Higher means faster and more accurate pointing
- Fitts Slopems/bit
- Slope of the pairs' mean movement times on their nominal index of difficulty.
- Lower means difficulty slows movement less
- Fitts Interceptms
- Intercept of the same line: the movement time it predicts at zero difficulty.
- Lower is faster; describes the line rather than a skill on its own
- Miss Rate%
- Share of clicks that missed the circle.
- Lower is more accurate; the effective width treats about 0.04 as the expected rate
- Movement Timems
- Median time from one click to the next, over included movements.
- Lower is faster
- Accidental Movementscount
- Movements shorter than half the distance or ending more than two circle widths from the target along the axis, left out of the scores.
- Lower supports interpretation
- Restarted Setscount
- Sets started again because the pointer left the window or the tab was hidden.
- Lower supports interpretation
Use and evidence
138 papers from 2021 to 2025 name this task in their title or abstract, down 33% compared with 2016 to 2020. That ranks it 161 of 395 test families in our census. See the counts for every test.
Show the numbers
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2022 | 26 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2020 | 31 |
| 2019 | 48 |
| 2018 | 44 |
| 2017 | 42 |
| 2016 | 41 |
| 2015 | 48 |
| 2014 | 36 |
| 2013 | 48 |
| 2012 | 39 |
| 2011 | 35 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2009 | 33 |
| 2008 | 30 |
| 2007 | 24 |
| 2006 | 25 |
| 2005 | 27 |
| 2004 | 20 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2002 | 31 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2000 | 12 |
Use grade C
100 to 299 papers from 2021 to 2025.
Evidence grade C
At least 2 test-retest papers, 30 reliability or validity papers or 3 registered clinical studies.
- Papers on test-retest reliability
- 4
- Papers on reliability or validity
- 52
- Registered clinical studies using it as an outcome
- 8
How the grades work
Use: A is 1,000 or more papers from 2021 to 2025, B 300 to 999, C 100 to 299, D 30 to 99 and E fewer than 30. Evidence: A means at least 25 papers report its test-retest reliability and at least 25 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome; B, at least 8 test-retest papers, and either 5 registered clinical studies or 150 reliability or validity papers; C, at least 2 test-retest papers, 30 reliability or validity papers or 3 registered clinical studies; D, little published measurement evidence found. The counts measure use. They include every paper that names the task in its title or abstract. Grades describe the published research on this task, not ConductCognition's version of it.
Source: ConductCognition test census 0.14.0, counted 31 October 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
Task design
The trial sequence as the test runs in ConductCognition.
- Ring
- 11 circles evenly spaced; each click goes to the circle across the ring, 12 clicks a set and 11 timed movements.
- Conditions
- Distances 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 of the screen's shorter side crossed with widths 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 of it, 1.6 to 4.6 bits.
- Sets
- 2 rounds (standard, 1 to 4) of the nine conditions, in an order drawn from the session's seed.
- Misses
- A missed click still moves the set on; the hits show for 1,000 ms after each set.
- Practice
- One set at distance 0.4 and width 0.05.
- Scores
- Throughput from the effective width, 4.133 times the SD of the clicks along the axis; movements under half the distance or over two widths off are left out.
This version uses the multidirectional layout and throughput of Soukoreff and MacKenzie (2004) with a mouse or trackpad and the usual pointer. The scores support research and do not diagnose.
Quality checks
Each session is marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason, before you see its scores.
Scored rows: every movement of the scored run's sets. A click has no answer to judge against chance. A movement faster than 100 ms is an accidental double click under the platform's timed-test rule. More than a quarter of movements left out as accidental, or no throughput to compute, invalidates. A miss rate over 20% or five or more restarted sets are flagged.
Why these rules
Missed responses and responses under 100 ms keep the platform's timed-test rule: more than max(3, 25%) missed responses or more than max(2, 20%) responses under 100 ms invalidate, and any is flagged. A response under 100 ms cannot be a reaction to the stimulus. Throughput assumes participants aimed for the circles. A click more than two circle widths from the target along the axis, or a movement shorter than half the distance, is taken as accidental (a double click or a slip); when more than a quarter of movements are, the spread no longer describes aiming. The effective width treats 4% misses as the expected rate (Soukoreff and MacKenzie, 2004), so a miss rate over 20% suggests speed was put far ahead of accuracy. A set starts again after the pointer leaves the window or the tab is hidden, but five or more restarts suggest the task was not done in one sitting.
No percentile. Scores and quality flags only.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds | 2 | 1 to 4 |
Yearly plans can change settings within these limits. Free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Need a setting this test does not have?
Devices and languages
- Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. Participant devices
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese.
- Available on: Every plan, including the free plan.
- No percentile. Scores and quality flags only. How norms work
- Recruiting online? See the setup guides for Prolific, Sona Systems, CloudResearch Connect and Qualtrics.
Cite and describe
Participants completed the Fitts Pointing Task in a web browser (ConductCognition task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0; Fitts, 1954; Soukoreff & MacKenzie, 2004), with the standard settings (rounds: 2). The main score was throughput (the mean over the nine distance and width pairs of the effective index of difficulty over the mean movement time).
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Fitts, P. M. (1954). The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47(6), 381-391. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055392
- MacKenzie, I. S. (1992). Fitts' law as a research and design tool in human-computer interaction. Human-Computer Interaction, 7(1), 91-139. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327051hci0701_3
- Soukoreff, R. W., & MacKenzie, I. S. (2004). Towards a standard for pointing device evaluation, perspectives on 27 years of Fitts' law research in HCI. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 61(6), 751-789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2004.09.001The multidirectional layout, effective width and throughput this version follows.
Source papers
- Fitts PM (1954). The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47(6):381-391.Paradigm source, N/A
- MacKenzie IS (1992). Fitts' law as a research and design tool in human-computer interaction. Human-Computer Interaction, 7(1):91-139.Paradigm source, N/A
- Soukoreff RW, MacKenzie IS (2004). Towards a standard for pointing device evaluation, perspectives on 27 years of Fitts' law research in HCI. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 61(6):751-789.Paradigm source, N/A
Questions
How long does the Fitts Pointing Task take?
About 4 to 6 minutes, as listed in the test library.
What device does a participant need?
Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. The browser must be Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
What scores does it produce?
Throughput, Fitts Slope, Fitts Intercept, Miss Rate, Movement Time, Accidental Movements and Restarted Sets. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
How widely is the Fitts Pointing Task used in research?
138 papers from 2021 to 2025 name it in their title or abstract, down 33% compared with 2016 to 2020. That ranks it 161 of 395 test families in the ConductCognition test census (use grade C). Source: ConductCognition test census 0.14.0, counted 31 October 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
How much reliability evidence does the Fitts Pointing Task have?
In the published research, 4 papers report its test-retest reliability and 8 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome (evidence grade C in the ConductCognition test census).
Does it report a percentile?
No. Scores and quality flags only.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Rounds (1 to 4). Settings can be changed on yearly plans; free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Which languages can participants use?
Participants can take this test in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese. English is on every plan, and the other languages come with yearly plans. Have a native speaker read the machine-translated text before launch.
Is this a clinical test?
No. ConductCognition is for research use only. It runs, scores and exports the test; clinical interpretation is outside the platform.
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