Whack-A-Mole Test

Background

The Whack-A-Mole task is a computerized cognitive assessment tool to measure executive functioning, especially response inhibition in children ages 7-12. It utilizes a simple go/nogo response framework with only the go-stimuli requiring a response from the participant and is modelled on a classic arcade game of the same name. The task was published by Betty Casey and colleagues in 1997.

The basic story of the Whack-A-Mole game is to get rid of a pesky mole in a vegetable garden. Thus, whenever a mole pops up on the screen, the participant is asked to press the spacebar to 'whack' it (go trial). However, they need to be careful not to whack the eggplants that occasionally pop up as well (nogo trial).

The number of go-trials that precede a nogo trial is carefully manipulated in the Whack-A-Mole task to study the effect of preceding context on the inhibition of a prepotent response. The more go-trials precede a nogo-trial, the more difficult it is to inhibit the go-response.

A variant of the Whack-A-Mole task is played with two mouse button keys: one mouse button (e.g. the left) being the correct response to 'whack' the mole, and the other mouse button (e.g. the right) to harvest the eggplant. This task variant introduces a decision-making component, thus increasing its cognitive load.

Task Procedure

Each trial presents the participant with either a picture of a mole (in various 'disguises') or an image of an eggplant. Each image is presented for a maximum of 1500ms during which the participant needs to decide to respond or not (Note: for the 2-response variant, participants need to decide which response to choose instead). Response feedback is provided for 300ms after each response or once the trial times out. A variable intertrial stimulus period that presents an empty hole in the ground ends each trial and evens out the total trial duration for go and nogo trials.

Participants work through a short practice phase (7 go trials, 3 nogo trials). The test phase consists of 4 blocks of (about) 55 trials each. Within each block, several different 'routines' are run that manipulate the number of go-trials that precede a nogo trial. For example, routine 'n4' presents 4 go-trials before the nogo trial. The highest routine run is 'n5'.

What it Measures

The Whack-A-Mole task is a measure for response inhibition in children

Psychological domains

• Executive Control: Ability to resolve conflict amongst competing stimuli, involving response inhibition and decision-making
• Inhibitory Control / Response Inhibition: Ability to override automatic/dominant responses that interfere with one's goals
• Selective Attention: Focusing on a specific stimulus or task while filtering out distractions
• Cognitive Development: Tracking typical developmental changes in children's executive control abilities

Main Performance Metrics

• Commission Errors (False Alarms): Responding when you should have withheld. This is the primary measure of inhibitory control.
• Omission Errors: Failing to respond to a 'Go' stimulus, which measures attention.

Psychiatric Conditions

The classic 'Whack-A-Mole' Game is typically used for research with children. A newer, modified version of the 'Whack-A-Mole task', played on tablets, has been used to investigate cognitive decline in patients suffering with moderate dementia (Tong & Chignell, 2017).

Test Variations

References

Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Whack-A-Mole Test.

---

Links