ConductCognition

Response Inhibition

Go/No-Go Task

Assess inhibitory control and impulse regulation with signal-detection-friendly go/no-go scoring.

Useful for ADHD, executive function, substance-use, and frontal-control research workflows.

Response Inhibition4-5 minHosted browser workflow
GONO-GOGO
Press SPACE for green, hold for red

What this task measures

Measures response inhibition by requiring participants to respond to 'go' stimuli and withhold responses to 'no-go' stimuli.

Core constructs

  • Response inhibition
  • Impulse control
  • Sustained attention
  • Signal detection sensitivity

Research fit

  • ADHD assessment
  • Impulse control disorder screening
  • Substance use disorder evaluation
  • Frontal lobe dysfunction detection
  • Medication effects on inhibitory control

Why researchers use ConductCognition

  • Hosted browser delivery with no local install burden for participants.
  • Study setup, scoring, exports, and participant links in one workflow.
  • Transparent pricing instead of opaque enterprise quoting for solo labs.
  • Free entry tier plus Academic Pro when you need the full battery and raw exports.

Paradigm overview

The Go/No-Go task is a foundational measure of response inhibition. Participants are presented with a stream of stimuli: green circles (Go) require a spacebar press, while red circles (No-Go) require withholding the response. The asymmetric ratio (75% Go, 25% No-Go) builds a prepotent response tendency, making inhibition on No-Go trials effortful.

Performance is analyzed through signal detection theory. Hits (correct Go responses) and false alarms (incorrect responses to No-Go stimuli) are used to compute d-prime, a sensitivity index that separates true discriminability from response bias. Commission errors (responding on No-Go trials) specifically index failure of inhibitory control.

The task engages the right inferior frontal gyrus and pre-supplementary motor area, regions critical for response inhibition. It is widely used in clinical populations where impulse control is compromised.

Key scoring outputs

Mean Go RT

ms

Average reaction time on correct Go trials. Reflects processing speed for respond conditions.

Lower is better

Go Accuracy

proportion

Proportion of Go trials with a correct response. Low values suggest inattention.

Higher is better

No-Go Accuracy

proportion

Proportion of No-Go trials correctly withheld. Directly measures inhibitory success.

Higher is better

d-Prime

d'

Signal detection sensitivity: Z(hit rate) - Z(false alarm rate). Separates discriminability from response bias.

Higher is better

Commission Errors

count

Responses on No-Go trials (false alarms). Primary index of inhibitory failure.

Lower is better

Omission Errors

count

Missed responses on Go trials. Indicates lapses in sustained attention.

Lower is better

Normative and citation context

Votruba KL, Langenecker SA (2013). Factor structure, construct validity, and age- and education-based normative data for the Parametric Go/No-Go Test. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 35(2):132-146.

N 27618-69

Computerized go/no-go with signal detection analysis.

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