Arrow Stroop test

How to play

1. An arrow appears with a rule above it.
2. If the rule says Same, tap the button that points the same way.
3. If it says Opposite, tap the button that points the other way.
4. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys or W, A, S, D.
5. A wrong answer or a miss costs a life.

What an arrow Stroop test is

In the classic Stroop test a color word fights with the color of its ink. In an arrow Stroop test the conflict is between where an arrow points and where you are told to answer. When the rule says to answer the opposite way, the arrow still pulls your hand toward the side it points to. Answering against that pull tends to take a little longer and go wrong more often.

Tests like this are usually called arrow Stroop or opposite arrows. Strictly speaking they are cousins of the Stroop test rather than the original, which uses words and ink. The idea is the same. A habit suggests one answer and the task asks for another.

In this game, Arrow Rule, an arrow appears on a dark panel with a rule above it, either Same or Opposite. Below are four buttons, up, right, down and left. Under Same you tap the button that points the way the arrow points. Under Opposite you tap the one that points the other way. On a keyboard you can answer with the arrow keys or with W, A, S and D.

What changes from level 1 to 15

The levels come in four stages.

Levels 1 to 3 use only the Same rule, so you learn the buttons. There are 10 to 12 arrows and the time per arrow shrinks from 1.5 to 1.1 seconds.

Levels 4 to 8 use only Opposite. The time goes back up to 1.5 seconds on level 4, because the new rule is the hard part, and then shrinks again to 1.1 seconds on level 8. The number of arrows grows from 12 to 16.

Levels 9 to 12 mix the rules. Each arrow comes with its own rule, and exactly half the arrows on a level say Opposite. You have to read the rule every time, and the time starts again at 1.5 seconds.

Levels 13 to 15 keep the mixed rule and move the arrow away from the center, toward the top, bottom, left or right of the panel. Where the arrow sits never changes the answer. The answer still follows the direction of the arrow and the rule. But an arrow on the left side of the panel makes the left button feel right. Psychologists call this pull the Simon effect, after J. Richard Simon, who studied it in the 1960s. These levels have 20 arrows and 1.2 to 1.0 seconds for each.

Levels 1 to 5 are free and cover the Same stage and the start of the Opposite stage, before you decide whether to open the rest. All level settings are our first guess and have not been tested on players yet.

How the points work

A right answer gives 10 points and a speed bonus of up to 10. The time runs from the moment the arrow appears. The bonus drops by one point for every 0.1 seconds, so an answer in 0.4 seconds earns 6 and an answer in 0.7 seconds earns 3. From 0.95 seconds the bonus is zero. The short pause after each answer, when the game shows the result, is not counted.

A wrong answer costs a life, and so does an arrow you let run out of time. You have three lives. When they are gone the level stops and you keep your points. If a life is still left after the last arrow, the level is cleared, even when that answer was wrong or late. If it costs your last life, the level ends and you keep your points.

The most a level can give is 20 points per arrow, from 200 on level 1 to 400 on levels 13 to 15.

What counts as a good result

We do not publish norms or compare you with other players. After each level the results screen shows your points, the speed bonus, the time, your mistakes and your previous best on that level. A good result is one that beats your best on that level.

Points will probably dip when a new stage starts, on levels 4, 9 and 13. The rule changes and the habit from the previous stage works against you, which is the pull the whole test is built around. We have not measured this on players yet, so treat it as an expectation, not a rule.

A few tips

Read the rule first, then look at the arrow. On mixed levels it is tempting to answer from the arrow and check the rule afterwards.

On a keyboard, keep your fingers on the keys between arrows. With about a second per arrow, even reaching for a key takes a noticeable part of the time.

On off-center levels, look at the tip of the arrow, not at its position. The side of the panel is there to mislead you.

Questions

Is the arrow Stroop test free?

Levels 1 to 5 are free. The full version opens all 15 levels. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription.

Is this the same as the reverse Stroop test?

Usually not. A reverse Stroop test tends to keep the color words and ask you to follow the word instead of the ink. This game shows one arrow and the word Same or Opposite above it.

Are there several arrows on the screen at once?

No. One arrow appears at a time, with its rule above it. Rows of arrows around the middle one are not part of this game.

Can I play with a keyboard?

Yes. Use the arrow keys or W, A, S and D. On a phone or tablet, tap the buttons below the panel.

How fast do I need to be?

Each arrow has a limit. Levels 1, 4 and 9 give 1.5 seconds and the limit shrinks within each stage. Levels 13 to 15 go from 1.2 seconds down to 1 second. Any right answer inside the limit counts, faster ones earn more points.

Why does the arrow move off center on the last levels?

To make where the arrow sits compete with where it points. The answer always follows the direction of the arrow and the rule, never its position.

Will this game improve my focus?

We make no such claim. The points show how you did in this game.