N-Back Task
Challenge your working memory by tracking stimuli presented N steps back in a sequence.
Estimated duration: 5–10 minutes
About This Experiment
The N-Back Task is a gold-standard assessment of working memory — the cognitive system that holds and manipulates information over short periods. In this task, you view a continuous stream of stimuli and must indicate whenever the current stimulus matches the one presented N positions earlier. As N increases (1-back, 2-back, 3-back), the task becomes progressively more demanding, providing a graded measure of working memory capacity and executive control.
How It Works
- A sequence of letters, numbers, or shapes is presented one at a time.
- You must remember the stimulus shown N positions back in the sequence.
- When the current stimulus matches the one from N steps ago, you press the target key.
- Difficulty increases as N goes from 1 to 2, 3, or higher.
Key Metrics
Accuracy (d')
Signal detection measure of how well you distinguish matches from non-matches
Hit Rate
Proportion of actual matches correctly identified
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of non-matches incorrectly identified as matches
Reaction Time
Speed of response on match trials
Try It on NeuroFusion
Run the N-Back Task online, collect your data, and get instant results — no downloads required.
Get Started for Free