How long does the Sustained Attention to Response Task take?
About 5 to 7 minutes, as listed in the test library.
Attention
Sustained Attention to Response Task
Measure sustained attention and response inhibition with frequent go and rare no-go items.
Useful for vigilance, fatigue, attention, and response-control research workflows.
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.
Attention5-7 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
7
SPACE
3
Hold response
Go speedNo-go errors
Press for most numbers, withhold for the target
What this task measures
Measures sustained attention and response inhibition. Digits 1 to 9 appear at a fixed pace, and participants press for every digit except 3, which appears on about 11% of trials.
Core constructs
- Sustained attention
- Response inhibition
- Attentional lapses
Research fit
- Sustained attention and vigilance research
- Fatigue and workload studies
- Repeated testing in longitudinal studies
Paradigm overview
The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) measures lapses of attention during a fast, routine response. Digits from 1 to 9 appear one at a time for 250 ms, each followed by a 900 ms mask (a circle with an X), so a new digit arrives every 1.15 seconds. Participants press SPACEBAR for every digit except 3.
The 3 appears on about 11% of trials and never twice in a row, so pressing becomes a habit and withholding needs sustained attention. Digits appear in five sizes, so participants have to read each digit rather than react to its shape. The standard run is 225 trials with 25 of each digit; researchers can shorten it to 45. Every session runs a recorded random order after 18 practice trials with feedback.
Commission errors, presses on a 3, are the primary measure. Omission errors, go response time and its coefficient of variation describe the response pattern. Responses often speed up just before a SART error, so post-error slowing compares the response after each commission error with the mean of the responses four trials before and four trials after it (Pfister & Foerster, 2022).
Key scoring outputs
Commission Errors
countPresses on a 3, where the response should be withheld.
Lower is better
Commission Error Rate
proportionCommission errors divided by the number of 3s shown.
Lower is better
Omission Errors
countDigits other than 3 with no press.
Lower is better
Go RT
msMean response time on digits other than 3, from digit onset. Presses under 100 ms are left out.
Informational
RT Variability
coefficientCoefficient of variation of go response times (standard deviation divided by mean).
Lower is more consistent
Post-Error Slowing
msResponse time after a commission error minus the mean of the responses four trials before and after it.
Informational
Accuracy
proportionShare of trials with a press on digits other than 3 and no press on 3.
Higher is better
Task design as built
The trial sequence participants see, as the test runs in ConductCognition. Settings a researcher can change are listed below.
- Stimulus
- A digit from 1 to 9 for 250 ms, then a circle-and-X mask for 900 ms, so a new digit arrives every 1,150 ms.
- Response
- SPACEBAR for every digit except 3.
- No-go digit
- 3, on about 11% of trials and never twice in a row.
- Digit sizes
- Five sizes: 64, 96, 125, 133 and 160 px.
- Practice
- 18 trials with feedback.
- Post-error slowing
- The response after each error minus the mean of the responses four trials before and four after it.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Number of trials | 225 | 45 to 225 |
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
ConductCognition versions: task version 2.0.0, scoring version 2.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Robertson, I. H., Manly, T., Andrade, J., Baddeley, B. T., & Yiend, J. (1997). 'Oops!': Performance correlates of everyday attentional failures in traumatic brain injured and normal subjects. Neuropsychologia, 35(6), 747-758. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0028-3932(97)00015-8
- Seli, P., Jonker, T. R., Cheyne, J. A., & Smilek, D. (2013). Enhancing SART validity by statistically controlling speed-accuracy trade-offs. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 265. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00265Digit timing, mask and digit sizes.
- Pfister, R., & Foerster, A. (2022). How to measure post-error slowing: The case of pre-error speeding. Behavior Research Methods, 54(1), 435-443. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01631-4Post-error slowing baseline.
Source papers
Robertson IH, Manly T, Andrade J, Baddeley BT, Yiend J (1997). 'Oops!': performance correlates of everyday attentional failures in traumatic brain injured and normal subjects. Neuropsychologia, 35(6):747-758.
Paradigm sourceAdults
Seli P, Jonker TR, Cheyne JA, Smilek D (2013). Enhancing SART validity by statistically controlling speed-accuracy trade-offs. Frontiers in Psychology, 4:265.
Paradigm sourceAdults
Pfister R, Foerster A (2022). How to measure post-error slowing: the case of pre-error speeding. Behavior Research Methods, 54(1):435-443.
Paradigm sourceAdults
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?
Commission Errors, Commission Error Rate, Omission Errors, Go RT, RT Variability, Post-Error Slowing and Accuracy. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Number of trials (45 to 225). 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.