How long does the Stop-Signal Task take?
About 5 to 7 minutes, as listed in the test library.
Response Inhibition
Stop-Signal Task
Estimate action-cancellation speed with an adaptive browser-native stop-signal workflow.
Useful for inhibition, impulsivity, ADHD-oriented, substance-use, and executive-control research protocols.
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.
Response inhibition5-7 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
<
LEFT
RIGHT
>STOP
Stop-signal delay adapts
Go quickly, stop when the signal appears
What this task measures
Measures action cancellation by asking participants to make speeded left/right responses and withhold the response when a stop signal appears.
Core constructs
- Response inhibition
- Action cancellation
- Impulsivity control
- Executive control
Research fit
- Response inhibition research
- ADHD-oriented research batteries
- Substance-use and impulsivity protocols
- Executive-control intervention studies
Paradigm overview
The Stop-Signal Task measures the ability to cancel an already initiated response. Participants respond quickly to left and right arrows on go trials, but on stop trials the arrow changes color after a stop-signal delay and the participant should withhold the response.
The stop-signal delay uses an adaptive staircase: successful stopping makes the next stop signal later, while failed stopping makes it earlier. This targets an interpretable stop success rate and supports stop-signal reaction time estimation using the integration method with replacement of go omissions.
Key scoring outputs
Stop-Signal Reaction Time
msIntegration-method estimate of the covert stopping latency: the nth fastest go RT minus the mean stop-signal delay, with n the number of go trials times p(respond|signal). Every go trial counts, choice errors included, and a go trial with no response counts at the slowest go RT (Verbruggen et al. 2019).
Lower is better when validity flags pass
SSRT, Correct Go Trials Only
msThe estimate used before scoring version 1.1.0: correct go RTs only, with go omissions and choice errors left out. It runs shorter when go trials were missed. For comparing with earlier results.
Informational
Stop Success Rate
proportionProportion of stop trials where the participant successfully withheld a response.
Near 0.50 is expected under a working staircase
Go Reaction Time
msMean reaction time on correct go trials.
Informational
Go Accuracy
proportionProportion of go trials answered with the correct arrow key.
Higher is better
Failed-Stop RT
msMean reaction time on stop trials where the participant failed to inhibit.
Should usually be faster than go RT
Valid SSRT Flag
0/1Indicates whether core SSRT validity checks passed.
1 indicates interpretable SSRT
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Go trials | 150 | 48 to 300 |
| Stop trials | 50 | 16 to 100 |
| Initial stop-signal delay (ms) | 250 | 100 to 600 |
| SSD staircase step (ms) | 50 | 25 to 100 |
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
- Task text: English and Italian.
- Available on: Every plan, including the free plan.
- Recruiting online? See the setup guides for Prolific, Sona Systems, CloudResearch Connect and Qualtrics.
Cite this test
Paradigm source: Logan & Cowan (1984); Verbruggen et al. (2019).
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.1.0, scoring version 1.2.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
Source papers
Verbruggen F, Aron AR, Band GPH, et al. (2019). A consensus guide to capturing the ability to inhibit actions and impulsive behaviors in the stop-signal task. eLife, 8:e46323.
Paradigm sourceN/A
Logan GD, Cowan WB (1984). On the ability to inhibit thought and action: a theory of an act of control. Psychological Review, 91(3):295-327.
Paradigm sourceN/A
Research FAQ
Common questions about this online cognitive test
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?
Stop-Signal Reaction Time, SSRT, Correct Go Trials Only, Stop Success Rate, Go Reaction Time, Go Accuracy, Failed-Stop RT and Valid SSRT Flag. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Go trials (48 to 300), stop trials (16 to 100), initial stop-signal delay (ms) (100 to 600) and ssd staircase step (ms) (25 to 100). Settings can be changed on yearly plans; free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Which languages can participants use?
The test's own text is in English and Italian. Italian participant pages come with yearly plans.
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.
Run this test in your next study
Start free with 10 free participants on any test, then use participant credits or a yearly plan.