Can I run the Simple Reaction Time Task online?
Yes. ConductCognition runs the Simple Reaction Time Task in a browser-based participant flow with study setup, automated scoring, and export-ready results.
Processing Speed
Simple Reaction Time Task
Measure psychomotor speed and baseline alertness with a fast browser-native paradigm suitable for remote research workflows.
Useful for fatigue, concussion, aging, and intervention studies that need a clean baseline speed measure.
Processing Speed2-3 minBrowser-based testing workflow
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Press SPACE when you see the circle
What this task measures
Measures basic processing speed by asking participants to respond as quickly as possible when a stimulus appears on screen.
Core constructs
- Psychomotor speed
- Alertness and vigilance
- Basic sensorimotor processing
- Peripheral and central processing speed
Research fit
- Baseline processing speed assessment
- Fatigue and drowsiness monitoring
- Medication side-effect screening (sedation)
- Traumatic brain injury recovery tracking
- Age-related cognitive slowing detection
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 trial-level exports.
Paradigm overview
The Simple Reaction Time task is the most fundamental measure of processing speed in cognitive neuroscience. A single stimulus (a colored circle) appears on screen after a variable delay, and the participant must press the spacebar as quickly as possible upon detection.
The variable inter-stimulus interval (1000-3000ms) prevents anticipatory responses and ensures each trial requires genuine stimulus detection. Practice trials allow participants to calibrate their responses before scored trials begin.
SRT provides a baseline measure of the sensorimotor processing chain: visual detection, signal transduction to motor cortex, and motor execution. Because the response mapping is fixed (one stimulus, one response), decision-making load is minimal, isolating pure processing speed from higher-order cognitive demands.
Key scoring outputs
Mean Reaction Time
msAverage reaction time across valid trials, excluding anticipatory responses (<100ms).
Lower is better
Median Reaction Time
msMedian reaction time, more robust to outliers than the mean. Preferred when the RT distribution is skewed.
Lower is better
RT Standard Deviation
msStandard deviation of reaction times. Reflects response consistency (intraindividual variability). Elevated IIV is a biomarker for cognitive decline.
Lower is better
Minimum RT
msFastest response recorded. Useful for detecting anticipatory or invalid responses.
Informational
Maximum RT
msSlowest response recorded. May indicate lapses in attention.
Informational
Accuracy
proportionProportion of trials with a valid response. Expected near ceiling for healthy participants.
Higher is better
Research evidence and scoring context
Woods DL, Wyma JM, Yund EW, Herron TJ, Reed B (2015). Age-related slowing of response selection and production in a visual choice reaction time task. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9:131.
N 146918-79
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Related task pages
Research FAQ
Common questions about this online cognitive test
What does this test measure?
Simple Reaction Time Task is used for psychomotor speed, alertness and vigilance, basic sensorimotor processing research workflows.
What data can researchers export?
Researchers can export scored results, and paid plans support trial-level exports for deeper analysis.
Is this for clinical diagnosis?
ConductCognition is for research use. The platform supports task delivery, scoring, and exports; clinical interpretation remains outside the platform.