Attention & Focus
Flanker Test
Five arrows appear. The ones on the sides may match the centre or fight it. Click the direction of the centre arrow only. Congruent rows are easy. Incongruent rows are the test. Score is correct answers minus errors in the time box.
Five arrows. Click the direction of the centre arrow only. The sides may help or fight.
Pick a length
Short is a quick check. Long is the full run. Your best for each is stored on this device.
What this measures
The Eriksen flanker task measures selective attention: can you report the target while neighbours shout the opposite answer? Incongruent rows cost time and errors because the motor system starts both responses and must suppress the wrong one. That conflict cost is a clean executive-control signal. We mix row types so you cannot settle into a rhythm. Short is a snapshot. Long lets the conflict cost stay visible after the novelty fades.
Where this shows up in real life
Reading the centre of a sign while the edges shout something else is dashboard and street-sign work. The fighting rows are the useful ones.
Score guide
| Rating | Score |
|---|---|
| Exceptional | 36+ points |
| Excellent | 30-35 points |
| Above average | 24-29 points |
| Average | 16-23 points |
| Below average | under 16 points |
How to improve
- Aim your eyes at the middle arrow before the row appears if you can.
- Name the centre only: left or right. Do not read the whole row aloud.
- After an error, slow one beat. Speed returns. Panic does not.
- Use two large buttons, not tiny hits. The decision is the skill, not the click.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good flanker score?
Around 22 points in the long window is typical. High 30s means you stay accurate on the fighting rows, not only the easy ones.
Why do matching rows feel trivial?
They are the baseline. The score gap between matching and fighting rows is the flanker effect. We still include matching rows so the conflict stays surprising.
Is this the same as Stroop?
Same family, different conflict. Stroop pits word meaning against ink colour. Flanker pits side arrows against the centre arrow. Both train ignoring the louder cue.