About Reaction Time
Reaction Time measures how quickly you can respond to a simple visual signal. The panel turns red, you wait, and the instant it turns green you click. Five valid tries are averaged into your final result.
How to play
- Click or tap the panel to arm a try. It turns red and shows "Wait for green...".
- After a random delay of between about 1.2 and 3.7 seconds the panel turns green. Click as fast as you can; your time in milliseconds is shown.
- Clicking while the panel is still red counts as too soon. Nothing is recorded, the panel turns amber, and you click again to retry that same attempt.
- Each recorded time counts as one try. After five recorded tries the game shows your average and all five individual times.
- Lower times are better. Because the site's Best counter keeps the highest number, the game stores your result as 1000 minus your average in milliseconds, so a 250 ms average is saved as 750.
Controls
- Mouse: click anywhere on the large panel. The press is registered on button-down, so you do not lose time waiting for the release.
- Touch: tap the panel. The touch registers as soon as your finger lands.
- There is no keyboard control; the test is designed around a single pointer press.
Tips and strategy
- Rest your finger on the mouse button or just above the screen before each go, so the only movement left is the press itself.
- Watch the centre of the panel rather than its edges. A colour change in the middle of your vision is detected fastest.
- Do not try to predict the change. The delay is random, and anticipating it mostly earns you a "Too soon!" rather than a faster time.
- Play on a wired mouse and a desktop browser if you want your best numbers. Wireless mice, touchscreens and slow displays can add measurable lag.
- If one try goes badly, keep going. Your result is the average of five, so a single slow press is diluted.
Background
This is a simple reaction time test: one stimulus, one response, no choice involved. Psychologists have measured reaction times since the 19th century, when Franciscus Donders used them to estimate how long mental processes take. Simple visual reaction times for young adults are commonly reported at roughly 200 to 250 milliseconds, while tasks that require choosing between responses take longer. A browser test also includes delays from your screen, operating system and input device, so results are best compared on the same setup rather than against laboratory figures.
Questions
- Why does my Best show a number like 740 instead of milliseconds?
- The site keeps the highest score as Best, but faster reactions are lower numbers. The game therefore saves 1000 minus your average, so 740 means an average of 260 ms.
- Does clicking too early count against me?
- It is not recorded as a try and does not add to your average. You simply click again to restart that attempt.
- How many tries are there?
- Five recorded tries. Your final result is their average, rounded to the nearest millisecond.