Arrow Match· Advanced

Goal

Identify the CENTER arrow's direction! Ignore the flanking arrows and focus on the middle.

How to Play

  • Five arrows appear in a horizontal row on screen
  • Press the left or right button matching the center arrow's direction
  • Ignore the surrounding arrows and focus only on the center

Core Rule: Congruent vs Incongruent

When all arrows point the same way it's easy, but when flankers point the opposite direction they cause interference. Focus on the center only!

> > > > >>OK
< < > < <<NG

Core Rule: Focus on Center

Responding to the flanker arrows instead of the center arrow is incorrect. Keep your gaze fixed on the middle.

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< < > < <<NG

Rules

  • Five arrows appear in a row — judge only the center arrow's direction.
  • Flanking arrows may point the same way (congruent), opposite (incongruent), or be dashes (neutral).
  • If you don't respond within the time limit, it counts as incorrect.

Tip

  • Keep your eyes fixed on the center at all times
  • Consciously ignoring the surrounding arrows is the key skill
  • Faster and more accurate responses earn higher scores

The Eriksen Flanker task (1974) is a classic paradigm for measuring selective attention and interference suppression. It is included in the NIH Toolbox and widely used for assessing frontal executive function.

  • Eriksen & Eriksen (1974) - Visual processing in response competition
  • Zelazo et al. (2013) - NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery