Anti-Tap Test — Free Antisaccade-Style Reflex Inhibition Check

Our hands and eyes move automatically toward anything that suddenly appears. This task measures the ability to suppress that reflex and act in the opposite direction, that is, reflex inhibition. You fixate on a central dot, a disc flashes for just 0.1 s on the left or right, and within 1.2 s you tap the disc's side in Part 1 or the opposite side in Part 2.

The original form is the antisaccade task described by Hallett (1978), an eye-movement experiment in which you look away from a stimulus to the opposite side. Soundary's version is its own implementation that carries the same logic over to finger taps without eye-tracking hardware, which is why the direction of the first touch, not gaze, serves as the index.

A reflex error is when your hand shoots toward the disc even though you were supposed to tap the other side. It is read as a sign that frontal-lobe systems failed to suppress the stimulus-driven automatic response in time, which is why the measure has long been used in research on attention, impulsivity and aging.

The test runs 88 trials in total: 8 same-side practice, 24 same-side main, 8 opposite-side practice and 48 opposite-side main. The headline metric is the reflex error rate: among answered trials in the 48 opposite-side main trials, the percentage where the first touch went toward the disc. Touching the disc side and then correcting still counts as an error, and the number of corrections is reported separately.

The error-rate bands are: 5% or less very good, above 5% and under 15% low, 15% to under 30% typical, and 30% or more high. The accompanying direction-switch cost is the median reaction time on correct opposite-side trials minus the median on correct same-side trials, in ms: zero or below means no cost, under 100 ms small, under 250 ms medium and 250 ms or more large.

Because the disc is visible for only 0.1 s, glancing away for a moment makes it easy to miss entirely, and no answer within 1.2 s is logged as an omission. Since the reflex error rate uses answered trials only, many omissions can make the rate look deceptively low. Errors are usually higher on a first attempt while the format is unfamiliar and drop over two or three sessions through practice.

Drowsiness, sleep loss, the day after drinking and heavy fatigue noticeably weaken reflex inhibition. On opposite-side trials the normal strategy is to pause briefly when the disc appears and then move, so longer reaction times and a positive direction-switch cost are expected. A small screen or a finger resting near the edge can blur the left-right distinction, so lay the device flat and use both hands.

Reflex errors are known to creep up with age, and group averages are higher in people with attention problems or strong impulsivity. An individual's value, however, depends heavily on that day's alertness and on the device, so if your first result is high the sensible next step is to try again a few days later at a time when you feel sharp.

The recommended use is repeated measurement every 3 to 4 weeks, following the trend of error rate and switch cost. This is a self-check, not a diagnostic tool, but if your error rate is repeatedly 30% or higher even on good days and you often find yourself pulled by distractions or unable to hold back in daily life, consider discussing an attention and inhibition assessment with a psychiatrist.