Gorilla LogoHome

Gorilla Academy: Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART)

In this experiment, participants performed two tests of sustained attention (fixed and random SART). In both the fixed and random SARTs, participants were asked to respond to every time 1, 2, 4-9 came on screen (every number except 3). Participants had to withhold their response when an 3 was presented. In the fixed SART the numbers are presented in order 1-9, but in the random SART the numbers are pseudo-randomised.

The most common outputs from the SART are:

  • Commission Errors (number of times participants press on a 3)
  • Omission Errors (number of times participants withhold a response to a digit that isn't a 3)

Previous research has shown a significant correlation between Commission Errors and both self- and other-ratings of Cognitive failures

You can see how this task was built on Gorilla Academy

Back to Open Materials


SART

Built with Experiment

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Generic Consent

Built with Questionnaire Builder 1

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Generic Demographics

Built with Questionnaire Builder 1

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Fixed SART

Built with Task Builder 1

Numbers are presented in a fixed order 1-9 and participants press on every number except 3. The number is on screen for 250ms followed by a mask (circle with cross) for 900ms. There are 225 trials (25 blocks) plus 18 trials (2 blocks) of practise.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Robertson, I. H., Manly, T., Andrade, J., Baddeley, B. T., & Yiend, J. (1997). Oops!': performance correlates of everyday attentional failures in traumatic brain injured and normal subjects. Neuropsychologia, 35(6), 747-758.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0028-3932(97)00015-8


Random SART

Built with Task Builder 1

Numbers 1-9 are presented in a random order and participants press on every number except 3. The distance between 3's is a minimum 5 stimuli and maximum 12 stimuli. The number is on screen for 250ms followed by a mask (circle with cross) for 900ms. There are 225 trials (25 blocks) plus 18 trials (2 blocks) of practise.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Robertson, I. H., Manly, T., Andrade, J., Baddeley, B. T., & Yiend, J. (1997). Oops!': performance correlates of everyday attentional failures in traumatic brain injured and normal subjects. Neuropsychologia, 35(6), 747-758.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0028-3932(97)00015-8


Cognitive Failures Questionnaire

Built with Questionnaire Builder 1

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)


Broadbent, D.E., Cooper, P.F., FitzGerald, P., & Parkes, K.R. (1982). The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 21, 1-16.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1982.tb01421.x

Public

Fully open! Access by URL and searchable from the Open Materials search page

Preferred Citation Robertson et al (1997) - SART
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0028-3932(97)00015-8
Broadbent et al (1982) - CFQ quesitonnaire
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1982.tb01421.x
Published on 19 February 2021