Go/No-Go
Tap on green, freeze on stop
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What is the Go/No-Go?
The Go/No-Go task is a simple test of stopping yourself from acting. Participants see a stream of signals and must respond quickly to one kind, the go signals, while holding back on another kind, the no-go signals. Because go signals are usually more common, pressing becomes a habit, and resisting it on no-go trials takes effort.
Researchers use go/no-go tasks to measure response inhibition and impulse control. Taps on no-go signals are called commission errors, and missed go signals are called omission errors. The Neuroptimize version, Go/No-Go, uses traffic lights: tap every plain green light as fast as you can, and never tap a stop sign or any of the look-alike signals that appear at higher levels.
How to play the Go/No-Go
- Signals pop up one at a time at random spots in the arena. A legend above the arena shows which signal to tap and which to avoid at your current level.
- Tap each plain green circle as fast as you can. Your reaction time appears where you tapped, and faster taps score more.
- Do not tap red stop signs. Letting a stop signal disappear on its own earns a small "Good stop" bonus, while tapping it counts as a false tap and resets your combo.
- Each signal stays on screen only briefly. If a green light vanishes before you tap it, that counts as a missed green.
- A session lasts 45 seconds. Your results show your average reaction time, your false taps and your missed greens.
- As your level rises, signals appear faster and stay up for less time, and stop signals become more frequent. New look-alike stop signals are added: a green stop sign from level 6, a green circle with a white bar from level 12, and a red circle from level 18.
Strategies and tips
Check colour and shape
At higher levels, colour alone is not enough: a green octagon and a green circle with a bar are both stop signals, and so is a red circle. Only a plain green circle is a go. Learn to check for all three things at once: green, round and plain.
Study the legend first
The legend above the arena lists every stop signal in play at your level. Take a moment to look at it before the first signal appears, especially after moving up a level, as a new look-alike may have joined.
Keep your finger hovering
Signals appear at random spots, so hover your finger or cursor near the centre of the arena. A short movement to any spot is quicker than reaching from the edge of the screen.
Hold back when unsure
A false tap and a missed green both count as mistakes, but a stop signal that you correctly leave alone earns points. If a signal looks odd, it is often a stop signal, and a split-second pause to check is usually worth it.
Find a steady rhythm
The gap between signals varies a little, so avoid tapping in anticipation of the next one. Wait until you can see what has appeared, then react. Tapping empty space scores nothing, and a rushed tap on a stop sign costs your combo.
The science behind the Go/No-Go
In a go/no-go task, participants respond quickly to one class of stimuli (go) and withhold their response to another (no-go). Responses made on no-go trials, called commission errors, are a standard measure of response inhibition and impulse control.
Frequently asked questions
What does a go/no-go task measure?
It measures response inhibition, the ability to stop an action you are about to make. The main measure is the number of commission errors, responses on no-go trials. Reaction times and missed go trials are usually recorded too.
What is the difference between commission and omission errors?
A commission error is responding when you should not have, such as tapping a stop sign. An omission error is failing to respond when you should have, such as letting a green light disappear. Go/No-Go reports these as false taps and missed greens.
How is go/no-go different from the stop-signal task?
In a go/no-go task, you know from the signal itself whether to respond. In a stop-signal task, you start responding to a go signal and a stop cue sometimes appears a moment later, asking you to cancel an action already under way.
Why are there green stop signs in the game?
From level 6, Go/No-Go adds look-alike stop signals that share a feature with the go signal, such as its colour or its round shape. They make it harder to rely on one quick cue, so you have to check the whole signal before tapping.