Free Online Go/No-Go Test: Measure Impulse Control and Focus
Think of it as a mental red-light/green-light game: respond to most signals, but occasionally stop. That stop moment shows how well you can inhibit an automatic response. It's a quick, research-based way to gauge impulse control and focus.
Go/No-Go Test
Measure response inhibition (impulse control) with a simple Go/No-Go task. Choose a stimulus difficulty and mode to start.
Choose Test Difficulty
Current: Easy - Press SPACE or tap when you see P. Do nothing when you see R.
Note: Educational self-test only, not a medical diagnostic tool.
Go/No-Go Basics
The Go/No-Go test measures response inhibition — your brain's ability to stop an automatic action. Think of it as testing your mental brakes.
Here's how it works: Most trials are Go trials, so you build a habit to respond (by pressing a key or tapping). Occasional No-Go trials require you to withhold that response. Successfully stopping shows how well your brain can override habits and impulses when needed.
This kind of cognitive control matters in daily life — from resisting distractions while studying to making thoughtful decisions under pressure. The paradigm is widely used in psychology and neuroscience to study attention, self-control, and executive function.
Important: Educational self-test only, not a medical or clinical diagnostic tool.
One stimulus appears briefly each trial. Most are Go, and some are No-Go.
Press SPACE or tap when you see the Go stimulus (e.g., letter P).
Do nothing when you see the No-Go stimulus (e.g., letter R).
Prioritize accuracy, then speed. Avoid multitasking during the test.
Example (Selected Difficulty)
Why This Matters
Strong inhibitory control helps you stay focused when studying, resist distractions at work, make better decisions under pressure, and break unwanted habits. Regular practice can strengthen these mental brakes, just like physical exercise strengthens your muscles.
Test Features
High Precision Timing
Millisecond-level timing keeps results consistent and reliable
Scientific Testing
Measures response inhibition and impulse control using a classic cognitive paradigm
Multi-device Support
Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile so you can test anywhere
Privacy Protection
No registration; data stays on your device to protect privacy
Detailed Analysis
Clear breakdown of hit rate, false alarm rate, and reaction time
Instant Feedback
See results immediately after each run
What You'll Measure
Hit Rate
Percentage of correct responses on Go trials (e.g., when you should respond to letter P). Reflects attention and task engagement.
False Alarm Rate
Percentage of responses on No-Go trials (e.g., when you should withhold for letter R). Lower is better, and it's the core inhibition metric.
Reaction Time
Average time to respond on Go trials. Helps capture processing speed and response readiness.
Inhibitory Control
Overall assessment of your ability to suppress inappropriate responses. A key executive function.
Inhibitory Control Benchmarks
False Alarm Rate
Go Reaction Time (Go RT)
d' Signal Discriminability (d-prime)
Applications
ADHD Assessment
Used extensively in ADHD research to assess inhibitory control deficits. Brain imaging studies reveal distinct activation patterns during Go/No-Go performance.
Addiction Research
Applied in substance use and behavioral addiction research. A 2024 study linked video game addiction to increased commission errors on No-Go trials.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Helps track cognitive recovery in stroke and traumatic brain injury patients, guiding therapy adjustments and monitoring progress over time.
Cognitive Training
Regular practice can strengthen your mental brakes over time, similar to how physical exercise builds muscle strength.
Executive Function
Measures core executive functions including response inhibition, sustained attention, and decision-making under time pressure.
Self-awareness
Gain insights into your cognitive control patterns, identifying strengths and areas for potential improvement.
About the Go/No-Go Test
Explore the history, neuroscience, and real-world applications of response inhibition testing
What Is the Go/No-Go Test?
The Go/No-Go test is one of the most classic response inhibition paradigms in cognitive psychology, designed to measure an individual's ability to suppress a prepotent response when required. This capacity is called response inhibition and is a core component of executive function.
The paradigm was developed by Soviet neuropsychologist Alexander Luria in the 1940s-50s, originally as a clinical tool for assessing frontal lobe function. Luria discovered that patients with frontal lobe damage showed marked difficulty inhibiting responses—even when they fully understood the rules, they could not stop their hands from reacting. This landmark finding laid the foundation for modern response inhibition research.
The test's core design is elegant in its simplicity: by making approximately 70-75% of trials Go trials, participants develop a strong "response prepotency"—an automatic habit to press when any stimulus appears. When a No-Go trial occurs (only 25-30%), suppressing this established automatic response becomes challenging. It is precisely this challenge that reveals individual differences in inhibitory control.
From its origins as a paper-and-pencil test to today's computerized precision measurements, the Go/No-Go paradigm has evolved into an indispensable tool in modern cognitive science, widely applied in ADHD research, drug evaluation, sports psychology, and many other fields.
How Does the Brain Control Impulses?
Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus (rIFG)
Located in the prefrontal cortex, the right inferior frontal gyrus serves as the brain's "core brake" for response inhibition. When a No-Go signal appears, this region rapidly activates, sending a "stop" command to the motor system. fMRI studies consistently show significantly stronger rIFG activation during No-Go trials compared to Go trials. Patients with damage to this area exhibit markedly elevated false alarm rates.
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)
The anterior cingulate cortex acts as the brain's "conflict monitor," detecting the conflict between Go response impulses and No-Go inhibition demands. When you make an error on a No-Go trial (false alarm), the ACC generates a strong "error-related negativity" (ERN), signaling the need to adjust your strategy going forward.
Basal Ganglia Hyperdirect Pathway
The hyperdirect pathway through the basal ganglia is a critical neural circuit for rapid motor inhibition. This pathway bypasses the conventional indirect route, projecting directly from the prefrontal cortex to the subthalamic nucleus (STN), enabling suppression of imminent motor commands in extremely short timeframes—functioning like an emergency braking system.
Go vs. No-Go Neural Differences
Functional MRI studies reveal that No-Go trials activate a broader prefrontal network than Go trials, including the DLPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), rIFG, and pre-SMA (pre-supplementary motor area). This difference reflects the greater cognitive resources required to inhibit a response versus executing one—which is why inhibitory control tends to be the first to decline under fatigue or distraction.
Factors Affecting Inhibitory Control
Age
Inhibitory control follows an inverted U-shaped curve across the lifespan. Children (ages 6-12) typically have false alarm rates of 30-40% because their prefrontal cortex is not yet fully mature. Adolescents (13-17) show about 15-25%, improving with brain development. Adults (18-60) perform best at around 10-15%. After 60, rates may slightly increase due to natural cognitive decline.
Sleep & Fatigue
Sleep deprivation significantly impairs inhibitory control. Research shows that just one night of poor sleep can increase false alarm rates by 15-20%. The prefrontal cortex is particularly sensitive to sleep loss—it is the last brain region to mature and the most susceptible to fatigue-related decline.
Attentional State
Distraction and multitasking markedly weaken inhibitory control. When attentional resources are split, fewer resources remain for monitoring and suppressing inappropriate responses, leading to elevated false alarm rates. This is why testing in a quiet, focused environment yields more accurate results.
Practice Effects
Repeated practice can improve Go/No-Go performance. Studies show that after 2-4 weeks of regular practice, false alarm rates may decrease by 5-10 percentage points. However, improvement eventually reaches a personal "ceiling"—an upper limit constrained by genetics and neurophysiology. Long-term gains come primarily from better attentional allocation strategies rather than fundamental changes in neural processing speed.
Real-World Applications of the Go/No-Go Test
ADHD Research
Individuals with ADHD show significantly higher false alarm rates on Go/No-Go tasks compared to controls. fMRI studies reveal reduced activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in ADHD. The Go/No-Go test is a standard tool for evaluating the efficacy of ADHD medications such as methylphenidate.
Addiction Assessment
Substance users show significantly higher inhibition failure rates on No-Go stimuli related to their addiction (e.g., images of alcohol bottles as No-Go signals). This reflects both the damage addiction inflicts on prefrontal inhibitory circuits and the learned automatic responses to addiction-related cues.
Frontal Lobe Screening
Patients with frontal lobe damage show markedly impaired Go/No-Go performance, with false alarm rates reaching 40-60%. This makes the test an effective rapid screening tool for frontal function, widely used in pre-neurosurgical assessment and traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation monitoring.
Sports Psychology
In competitive sports, response inhibition directly impacts decision quality. Soccer goalkeepers need to inhibit premature reactions to feints, and boxers must restrain punching impulses at inappropriate moments. Go/No-Go testing is used to assess and train athletes' cognitive control abilities.
Drug Efficacy Evaluation
Pharmaceutical companies use Go/No-Go testing to evaluate how new drugs affect cognitive function. In clinical trials for ADHD medications, antidepressants, and cognitive enhancers, improved Go/No-Go performance serves as a key efficacy measure, providing objective quantitative data on cognitive function.
How to Improve Inhibitory Control
Regular Practice
Practice Go/No-Go 2-3 times per week for 2-5 minutes each session. Research shows that 4-6 weeks of consistent training can reduce false alarm rates by 5-10 percentage points. Consistency matters more than intensity—short, frequent sessions are more effective than occasional long ones.
Mindfulness Meditation
Multiple studies show that 8 weeks of mindfulness training (15-20 minutes daily) can significantly improve response inhibition. Mindfulness meditation enhances the functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate, improving awareness and control of impulses.
Aerobic Exercise
Regular aerobic exercise (e.g., running, swimming—3-5 times per week, 30 minutes each) promotes cerebral blood flow and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) secretion, strengthening prefrontal function. Studies find that regular exercisers have 8-12% lower Go/No-Go false alarm rates than sedentary individuals.
Adequate Sleep
Maintaining 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night is crucial for inhibitory control. The prefrontal cortex is particularly sensitive to sleep deprivation—even 1-2 hours less sleep can noticeably impair inhibitory ability. Establishing a regular sleep schedule is the simplest and most effective improvement strategy.
Go/No-Go vs. Other Cognitive Tests
| Test | Focus | Key Metric | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go/No-Go | Response inhibition (restraint) | False alarm rate, d' | ADHD screening, impulse control |
| Stop-Signal | Response inhibition (cancellation) | SSRT | Precise inhibition speed |
| Stroop Test | Interference inhibition | Stroop effect | Cognitive flexibility |
| Flanker | Attentional control | Interference effect | Selective attention |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Go/No-Go Test
Important Note & Disclaimer
Response inhibition and impulse control are influenced by various factors including age, cognitive state, fatigue, and practice effects. Test results reflect your performance at a single point in time. Multiple test sessions provide more reliable insights into your cognitive patterns.
Disclaimer: This Go/No-Go test is for educational and self-awareness purposes only and has no medical diagnostic function. Results cannot replace professional psychological evaluation or clinical assessment. If you have concerns about attention, impulse control, or executive function, please consult a qualified healthcare professional or neuropsychologist.
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