Flanker Task - Free Online Benchmark & Cognitive Training Tool
What is the Flanker Task & How Does It Measure Performance?
About the Flanker Task
The Eriksen Flanker task measures selective attention under conflict. You respond to a center arrow while ignoring flanking arrows that may point the other way.
Congruent vs Incongruent
Congruent: all arrows agree. Incongruent: flankers oppose the center, creating response competition you must inhibit.
How to Respond
Read only the center arrow. Press Left/Right (arrows or A/D). Timeouts and wrong directions cost lives.
Difficulty
Harder modes raise incongruent rate, shorten deadlines, and reduce lives.
Metrics
Track correct responses and average RT on corrects. Fast incongruent RTs with high accuracy indicate strong conflict control.
Not Stroop
Flanker is arrow/spatial conflict. Stroop is color-word conflict. Related family, different conflict type.
Conflict Monitoring
Incongruent trials activate two response plans. Your prefrontal/attentional systems must suppress the flanker plan and express the center plan. That conflict cost shows up as slower RT and more errors.
Gaze Discipline
If your eyes jump to the leftmost arrow, you have already let the flanker into the decision. Soften peripheral awareness but keep conscious decision locked on the middle character.
Training Progression
First drive incongruent accuracy up. Then trim RT. Reversing that order often entrenches guessing on conflict trials.
Step-by-Step Instructions & How to Play
Start
- Select difficulty.
- Initialize.
- Place fingers on Left/Right controls.
Respond
- Fixate the center character.
- Ignore flankers.
- Press the center direction only.
After Errors
- Reset fixation to center.
- Do not let the previous flanker direction bias the next trial.
Tips to Improve Your Score
Tunnel on Center
Decide before peripheral arrows dominate.
Do Not Vote With the Majority
On incongruent trials the crowd of flankers is the trap.
Stable Gaze
Micro-scanning the whole string slows you and invites flanker capture.
Accuracy First
Clean center decisions beat reckless speed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Flanker Task
What is congruent?
All arrows point the same way.
What is incongruent?
Flankers point opposite the center.
How is score counted?
Number of correct center responses.
Average RT?
Shown for correct responses.
A/D keys?
Yes, along with arrow keys.
Timeouts?
Count as misses and cost a life.
Why incongruent feels harder?
Competing response activation must be inhibited.
Is this Stroop?
No—different conflict dimension.
Trial count?
About 20–40 depending on difficulty.
Best tactic?
Fixate center, decide, then move.