Go/no-go test: method
Go/no-go task (visual, shape and colour cue)
Scorer version: 1 (public test scorer version)
← Back to the testWhat it measures
Response inhibition: withholding a prepared, frequent response on rare no-go trials (commission errors). Omission errors and go reaction time reflect attention and speed.
Procedure
Go stimulus: a blue circle. No-go stimulus: an orange square (shape and colour both differ, so the task never relies on colour alone). A scripted practice of 8 trials (go, go, no-go, go, go, no-go, go, go) gives feedback after each trial for 900 ms; it is skippable. After a countdown, 40 counted trials follow. Each stimulus is shown for 800 ms, followed by a 600 ms blank, so a response counts for a trial from stimulus onset until the next stimulus (1,400 ms). Only the first response per trial is recorded, with RT from stimulus onset. Inputs: touch, mouse button, Space or Enter. Counted trials give no right/wrong feedback. The no-go trials are spread evenly: 10 no-go trials (25%), one at a random position in each block of 4 trials, never on trial 1.
Parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Practice trials | 8 scripted, with 900 ms feedback (skippable) |
| Counted trials | 40 |
| No-go share | 25% (10 trials), one per block of 4, never first |
| Stimulus duration | 800 ms |
| Blank after stimulus | 600 ms |
| Response window | 1,400 ms from onset |
| Inputs | touch, mouse button, Space, Enter |
Scoring
Primary metric: accuracy = (go trials answered + no-go trials withheld) / all counted trials, shown as a percentage; higher is better. Also reported: commission errors and commission rate (no-go trials answered / no-go trials), omission errors and omission rate (go trials missed / go trials), and mean RT on answered go trials in ms. No anticipation filter is applied to go RTs. No percentile or norm is shown.
Valid-run rules
If a run has no go or no no-go trials the rates are empty. Leaving the tab or switching windows during the practice, countdown or run stops it, and nothing is scored. Every scored run is stored with its input device class (touch, mouse, keyboard), page language, scorer version and runner-config hash. Quality flags (for example many runs from one connection within an hour, a missing visitor id, an automated browser, impossibly fast answers) and earlier attempts by the same visitor, account or connection are recorded with the row. Such runs are kept, but they are left out of any comparison with other players. Flags never change the player's own result.
Differences from the classic task
Go/no-go versions differ widely (stimuli, pace, no-go share, length), so there is no single standard. Lab versions usually have hundreds of trials; this one has 40, so the commission rate moves in 10-point steps. The go and no-go stimuli differ in both shape and colour, which makes the discrimination easy and puts the weight on stopping. The response window includes the blank after the stimulus.
Limitations
Only 10 no-go trials, so the inhibition score is coarse and noisy. Browser and device delay add to go RTs and differ between devices. The setting is unsupervised and a first run includes task learning. Scores are not comparable with other sites or studies. No clinical or diagnostic use.
Languages and review status
Language-independent stimuli; instructions and feedback in all site languages.
Review status by instruction language
Published instruction languages are listed below. Translation method: machine-assisted translation with automated script and spelling checks. Language-specific material is described above; native-speaker review is not documented here.
| Instruction language | Documented review status |
|---|---|
| English | Original English text. |
| Afaan Oromoo | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Afrikaans | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Akan | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Azərbaycan dili | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Bahasa Melayu | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Bosanski | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Català | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Čeština | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Chichewa | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ChiShona | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Dansk | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Deutsch | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Eesti | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Español | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Filipino | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Français | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Galego | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Hausa | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Hmoob | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Hrvatski | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Igbo | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Ikinyarwanda | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| isiXhosa | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| isiZulu | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Italiano | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Kiswahili | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Kurmancî | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Latviešu | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Lietuvių | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Lingála | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Magyar | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Malagasy | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Nederlands | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Norsk bokmål | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Oʻzbekcha | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Polski | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Português | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Română | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Sesotho | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Setswana | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Shqip | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Slovenčina | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Slovenščina | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Soomaali | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Srpski | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Suomi | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Svenska | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Tiếng Việt | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Türkçe | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Türkmençe | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Yorùbá | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Ελληνικά | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Български | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Кыргызча | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Қазақ тілі | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Македонски | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Монгол | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Русский | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Татарча | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Тоҷикӣ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Українська | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ქართული | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| Հայերեն | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| עברית | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ئۇيغۇرچە | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| اردو | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| العربية | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| پښتو | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| پنجابی | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| سنڌي | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| فارسی | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| کوردیی ناوەندی | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ትግርኛ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| አማርኛ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| कोंकणी | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| नेपाली | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| मराठी | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| मैथिली | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| हिन्दी | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| অসমীয়া | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| বাংলা | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ਪੰਜਾਬੀ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ગુજરાતી | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ଓଡ଼ିଆ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| தமிழ் | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| తెలుగు | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ಕನ್ನಡ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| മലയാളം | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| සිංහල | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ไทย | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ລາວ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| မြန်မာ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| ខ្មែរ | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| 한국어 | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| 日本語 | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| 简体中文 | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| 粵語 | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
| 繁體中文 | Automated script and spelling checks; native-speaker review not documented. |
How to cite
Helibrain (2026). Go/no-go test, v1. https://helibrain.com/go-no-go-test/methods
Changelog
· Version 1 · Initial methods publication for the current released task.
References
Donders, F. C. (1969). On the speed of mental processes (W. G. Koster, Trans.). Acta Psychologica, 30, 412-431. (Original work published 1868)
https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6918(69)90065-1origin of the go/no-go ('c') reaction
Wessel, J. R. (2018). Prepotent motor activity and inhibitory control demands in different variants of the go/no-go paradigm. Psychophysiology, 55(3), e12871.
https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12871review of task design: fast pace and rare no-go trials are needed
Simmonds, D. J., Pekar, J. J., & Mostofsky, S. H. (2008). Meta-analysis of Go/No-go tasks demonstrating that fMRI activation associated with response inhibition is task-dependent. Neuropsychologia, 46(1), 224-232.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.07.015meta-analysis of go/no-go variants
Methods text: CC BY 4.0. Attribute Helibrain and link to this method. Source datasets and task material keep their own licences; this licence covers the methods text.
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