Random Generation Task
Generate sequences (digits, letters, key-presses) intended to be random in time with a pacing signal (often 1 Hz or 2 Hz). Deviations from randomness — counting strings, alphabet/numeric runs, repetition avoidance, response biases — index inhibitory control over prepotent sequences and are a classic executive-function probe.
- Executive Function
Indexed implementations 1
Metadata only — each row links to the authors' own page. A date in the last column is the last time an automated check confirmed the link loads; it is not a review of the task.
| Implementation | Source | Languages | Link checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Random Number Generation · Experiment Factory | Experiment Factory | English | 2026-05-28 |
Key references
- Baddeley, A. D. (1966). The Capacity for Generating Information by Randomization. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(2), 119–129. doi:10.1080/14640746608400019
- Towse, J. N., & Neil, D. (1998). Analyzing human random generation behavior: A review of methods used and a computer program for describing performance. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 30(4), 583–591. doi:10.3758/bf03209475