Which way is the middle arrow?
Five arrows appear. Only the middle one counts. Tap Left or Right as fast as you can without guessing, then see how much the side arrows slowed you down.
Four practice rounds, then 32 that count. It takes about a minute. The keys ← and → work too.
This is one task. The app has three, and a score.
This page is from the team behind Attention Age: Focus Test for iPhone. This is the idea behind one of its tasks. According to its App Store listing, the app goes further:
- A five-minute test built from three timed tasks: Signal Watch, Interference (judge the middle arrow) and Tracking
- A 0 to 100 Attention Index with five category scores, each explained in plain language
- A validity check that flags sessions that probably do not reflect a real attempt
- The Daily Signal: one free 20-second challenge a day, the same for everyone
- No account. Your results stay on your iPhone
This page is a short browser version of a classic lab task. Timing depends on your device and screen. It is not a clinical test and cannot diagnose ADHD or any other condition.
What you are measuring
In a flanker task, the arrows beside the middle one are distractions. When they point the same way as the middle arrow, the answer is easy. When they point the other way, your brain has to override the pull of the crowd, and that takes a few extra milliseconds. The size of that gap is the flanker effect.
Researchers use it to study how well people filter out distraction. A bigger gap does not mean something is wrong with you. It varies with sleep, time of day, caffeine, device and how hard you are trying.
Getting a cleaner result
Look at the centre. Keep your eyes on the middle arrow and let the others blur.
Do not rush the first answers. Accuracy matters more than speed. Guessing makes the timing meaningless.
Compare like with like. Run it at the same time of day, on the same device, a few times. One round tells you very little.
Questions
What is a flanker test?
It is a classic psychology task. A target arrow is shown between distracting arrows, and you report only the direction of the target. It measures how well you can ignore irrelevant information.
What is a good flanker score?
There is no single good score. Look at your accuracy first, then at how much slower you are when the side arrows disagree. Compare your own results across days rather than with other people.
Is this a test for ADHD?
No. It is a short browser demonstration of a research task. It cannot diagnose ADHD or any other condition. If you are worried about your attention, talk to a doctor.
More from this site
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- Color Difference Test: Spot the Odd Shade Before Time Runs OutOne tile is a slightly different shade. Find it. The grid grows and the difference shrinks every round. 60 seconds, a score, and a link to challenge a friend. Free, no sign-up.
- Daily Signal: 20-second focus challengeTap the green circles, ignore everything else. Twenty seconds, the same pattern for everyone today, and a result grid you can share. A new pattern at midnight.
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