PEBL Hub — IRB Fact Sheet — 2026-08-23
Antisaccade Task
Category:Executive Function
Duration:~9 minutes
Parameters:7 configurable parameters available
Version:1.0
Input:Keyboard
Description
An inhibitory control task requiring participants to suppress the reflexive tendency to look at a peripheral cue. A cue appears on one side of the screen, followed by an arrow target on the opposite side. Participants must indicate the arrow's direction while avoiding looking at the initial cue, which would impair target perception. Involves a screen calibration routine so users can calibrate eccentricity based on paper, ruler, or credit card.
Notes
- Based on Miyake et al.'s implementation; adapted from Roberts, Hager, & Heron (1994)
Key Parameters
| stimsize | Size of arrow box or prompt box in pixels (default: 35) |
| calibratescreen | Should the screen calibration be used? (default: none) |
| offset | Distance to target/prompt from center in pixels (default: 200) |
| promptdelay | Time between prompt and arrow in milliseconds (default: 250) |
| stimduration | Duration arrow appears in milliseconds (default: 150) |
| numPractice | Number of practice trials (default: 22) |
| numtrials | Number of test trials (default: 90) |
| usedown | Use down arrow (0=no, 1=yes) (default: 1) |
Example Data Output (5 sample rows)
| subnum | screensize | block | trial | direction | stim | fixationstart | delaytime | promptstart | arrowstart | maskstart | rt | corresp | resp | corr | bivalentcorr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1515 | 1920x1080 | P | 0 | -1 | U | 54128 | 1500 | 55628 | 56130 | 56130 | 718 | <up> | <up> | 1 | 1 |
| 1515 | 1920x1080 | P | 0 | 1 | D | 56851 | 2500 | 59351 | 59853 | 59853 | 510 | <down> | <down> | 1 | 1 |
| 1515 | 1920x1080 | P | 0 | -1 | L | 60369 | 2750 | 63120 | 63621 | 63621 | 614 | <left> | <left> | 1 | 1 |
| 1515 | 1920x1080 | P | 0 | 1 | R | 64237 | 2500 | 66737 | 67239 | 67239 | 700 | <right> | <right> | 1 | 1 |
| 1515 | 1920x1080 | P | 0 | 1 | R | 67947 | 3250 | 71198 | 71700 | 71700 | 619 | <right> | <right> | 1 | 1 |
References
Roberts, R. J., Hager, L. D., & Heron, C. (1994). Prefrontal cognitive processes: Working memory and inhibition in the antisaccade task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 123(4), 374-393.