Executive Function
Placekeeping Task
Also called: placekeeping paradigm, interrupted sequential performance, procedural sequence task
Measure how people remember their next step in a rule sequence and resume after interruptions, with separate sequence and classification error scores.
6-8 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. Try it here first, with no account.
- Papers, 2021 to 2025
- 7
- Evidence grade
- D
- Registered clinical studies
- 0
What it measures
Measures keeping a place in a rule sequence across interruptions. Participants cycle through shape, fill and number judgments without a cue naming the next rule.
Constructs
- Placekeeping
- Sequential control
- Resuming after interruption
Research uses
- Research on interruptions and procedural errors
- Working memory and executive-function research
How the paradigm works
The Placekeeping Task measures remembering the next step in a repeating procedure across interruptions. Participants judge a shape, then its fill, then a digit, and repeat that order. Six distinct answers identify both the rule used and its classification. After answering a short set of digit questions, participants resume the sequence without an active-rule cue.
More about the paradigm
This version uses three rules and digit questions during interruptions, adapting the seven-step procedure studied by Altmann and colleagues. The Task Switching Test cues each rule change; here the participant must remember which rule comes next. A sequence error means choosing a rule that does not follow the rule actually used on the preceding judgment. Classification errors are counted separately on trials with the correct rule.
The standard session has 12 practice judgments with feedback, then four blocks of 24 judgments with three interruptions per block. Each interruption contains four below-or-above-five questions. Blocks and questions per interruption are settings fixed before the session. Every block starts with Shape. All response mappings stay visible, but the current step is never highlighted during test blocks.
Scores
- Sequence error rate%
- Share of valid judgments using a rule other than the next rule after the preceding response.
- Lower is better
- Post-interruption error rate%
- Sequence error rate on the first judgment after an interruption.
- Lower is better
- Baseline error rate%
- Sequence error rate on other judgments, excluding each block's first judgment.
- Lower is better
- Interruption error cost%
- Post-interruption minus baseline sequence error rate.
- Informational
- Classification error rate%
- Incorrect classifications among judgments using the expected rule.
- Lower is better
- Resumption time costms
- Mean correct post-interruption time minus mean correct baseline time.
- Informational
- Post-interruption timems
- Mean time on fully correct first judgments after interruptions.
- Informational
- Baseline timems
- Mean time on fully correct baseline judgments.
- Informational
- Interruption accuracy%
- Share of digit questions answered correctly.
- Higher is better
- Anticipationscount
- Judgment responses under 100 ms.
- Informational
- Judgments completedcount
- Test judgments in the selected run.
- Informational
- Valid judgmentscount
- Judgments with scoreable data and a response at or after 100 ms.
- Informational
- Planned judgmentscount
- Number planned for the session.
- Informational
- Post-interruption judgmentscount
- Valid first judgments after interruptions.
- Informational
- Baseline judgmentscount
- Valid other judgments excluding block starts.
- Informational
Use and evidence
7 papers from 2021 to 2025 name this task in their title or abstract. That ranks it 464 of 495 test families in our census. See the counts for every test.
Show the numbers
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
Use grade E
Fewer than 30 papers from 2021 to 2025.
Evidence grade D
Little published measurement evidence found.
- Papers on test-retest reliability
- 0
- Papers on reliability or validity
- 4
- Registered clinical studies using it as an outcome
- 0
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 0.22.0, counted 2 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
Task design
The trial sequence as the test runs in ConductCognition.
- Sequence
- Shape, fill, number; three rules with six distinct responses.
- Practice
- 12 judgments with feedback and one interruption.
- Test
- 4 blocks of 24 judgments; 3 interruptions per block.
- Interruptions
- 4 below-or-above-five digit questions, answered at the participant's pace.
- Settings
- 2 to 6 blocks; 2 to 6 questions per interruption.
- Errors
- Next rule relative to the rule actually performed; classification errors reported separately.
- Controls
- Number keys 1 to 6 on a desktop or laptop. No cue names the current step.
This version uses a three-rule sequence and digit questions during interruptions. Task Switching cues each rule; Placekeeping requires remembering the next step.
Quality checks
Each session is marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason, before you see its scores.
Scores test judgments from the most complete run. Low accuracy flags review because sequence slips are the target measure. Fewer than 90% of planned judgments invalidates. Responses under 100 ms follow the timed-test rule.
Why these rules
A repeated or skipped rule is the construct, so systematic errors never invalidate by themselves. 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.
No percentile. Scores and quality flags only.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks of 24 judgments | 4 | 2 to 6 |
| Questions per interruption | 4 | 2 to 6 |
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 Placekeeping Task in a web browser (ConductCognition task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0; Altmann, Trafton & Hambrick, 2014), with the standard settings (blocks of 24 judgments: 4; questions per interruption: 4). The main score was sequence error rate (share of valid judgments using a rule other than the next rule after the preceding response).
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Altmann, E. M., Trafton, J. G., & Hambrick, D. Z. (2014). Momentary interruptions can derail the train of thought. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(1), 215-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030986Remembering a step across interruptions and scoring sequence errors relative to the preceding response. The three-rule task is our adaptation.
Source papers
Questions
How long does the Placekeeping Task take?
About 6 to 8 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?
Sequence error rate, Post-interruption error rate, Baseline error rate, Interruption error cost, Classification error rate, Resumption time cost, Post-interruption time, Baseline time, Interruption accuracy, Anticipations, Judgments completed, Valid judgments, Planned judgments, Post-interruption judgments and Baseline judgments. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
How widely is the Placekeeping Task used in research?
7 papers from 2021 to 2025 name it in their title or abstract. That ranks it 464 of 495 test families in the ConductCognition test census (use grade E). Source: ConductCognition test census 0.22.0, counted 2 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
How much reliability evidence does the Placekeeping Task have?
In the published research, 0 papers report its test-retest reliability and 0 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome (evidence grade D in the ConductCognition test census).
Does it report a percentile?
No. Scores and quality flags only.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Blocks of 24 judgments (2 to 6) and questions per interruption (2 to 6). 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.
Every test: the full test list.
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