Attention Network Task¶
HED Task ID: hedtsk_attention_network
Also known as: Attention Network Test, ANT, Clinical Screening ANT
Identify the direction of a central arrow flanked by congruent or incongruent arrows, preceded by various cue types; RT differences across cue and flanker conditions index three independent attention networks (alerting, orienting, executive).
Description¶
The Attention Network Test (ANT) combines elements of the Posner cueing paradigm and the Eriksen flanker task to provide separate measures of three attention networks in a single task. Participants respond to the direction of a central arrow flanked by congruent or incongruent flankers, with the target preceded by no cue, a center cue, a double cue, or a spatial cue. The ANT yields three independent efficiency scores: alerting (double cue benefit over no cue), orienting (spatial cue benefit over center cue), and executive control (incongruent flanker cost). The task operationalizes Posner’s attention network model.
Inclusion test¶
Procedure |
Flanker task with preceding spatial and temporal cues; participants identify the direction of a central arrow flanked by congruent or incongruent arrows. |
Manipulation |
Cue type (no cue, center cue, double cue, spatial cue) crossed with flanker congruency (congruent, incongruent). |
Measurement |
Three network scores derived from RT differences: alerting (double cue − no cue), orienting (center cue − spatial cue), executive (incongruent − congruent). |
Variations¶
Variation |
Description |
Justification |
|---|---|---|
Standard ANT (Fan et al., 2002) |
Flanker + cueing combined; three network scores. |
Canonical ANT with three cue types and flanker congruency; measures alerting, orienting, executive |
ANT-I (Callejas et al.) |
Measures inter-network interactions. |
Revised cue design with interaction effects measure; different trial structure and network scoring |
ANT-R (Revised) |
Improved reliability and additional conditions. |
Revised version with separate conflict and inhibition measures; different trial protocol |
Lateralized ANT (LANT) |
Targets on horizontal axis; hemisphere-specific effects. |
Stimuli presented laterally to test hemispheric contributions; different spatial arrangement |
Child ANT |
Fish stimuli and simplified responses for developmental studies. |
Fish stimuli, simplified flanker; procedure genuinely adapted for children per §5.3 |
ANT with Emotional Stimuli |
Emotional flankers or targets. |
Emotional flanker content; retained per §5.1 (EMOT retired) |
Cognitive processes¶
This task engages the following cognitive processes:
Key references¶
{‘authors’: ‘Fan, J., McCandliss, B. D., Sommer, T., Raz, A., & Posner, M. I.’, ‘year’: 2002, ‘title’: ‘Testing the Efficiency and Independence of Attentional Networks’, ‘venue’: ‘Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘14’, ‘issue’: ‘3’, ‘pages’: ‘340-347’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1162/089892902317361886’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Fan, J., McCandliss, B. D., Sommer, T., Raz, A., & Posner, M. I. (2002). Testing the efficiency and independence of attentional networks. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 14(3), 340-347.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1162/089892902317361886’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘FAN, J., MCCANDLISS, B., FOSSELLA, J., FLOMBAUM, J., & POSNER, M.’, ‘year’: 2005, ‘title’: ‘The activation of attentional networks’, ‘venue’: ‘NeuroImage’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘NeuroImage’, ‘volume’: ‘26’, ‘issue’: ‘2’, ‘pages’: ‘471-479’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.02.004’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Fan, J., McCandliss, B. D., Fossella, J., Flombaum, J. I., & Posner, M. I. (2005). The activation of attentional networks. NeuroImage, 26(2), 471-479.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.02.004’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Petersen, S. E., & Posner, M. I.’, ‘year’: 2012, ‘title’: ‘The Attention System of the Human Brain: 20 Years After’, ‘venue’: ‘Annual Review of Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Annual Review of Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘35’, ‘issue’: ‘1’, ‘pages’: ‘73-89’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150525’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Petersen, S. E., & Posner, M. I. (2012). The attention system of the human brain: 20 years after. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 35, 73-89.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150525’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
Recent references¶
{‘authors’: ‘MacLeod, J. W., Lawrence, M. A., McConnell, M. M., Eskes, G. A., Klein, R. M., & Shore, D. I.’, ‘year’: 2010, ‘title’: ‘Appraising the ANT: Psychometric and theoretical considerations of the Attention Network Test.’, ‘venue’: ‘Neuropsychology’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Neuropsychology’, ‘volume’: ‘24’, ‘issue’: ‘5’, ‘pages’: ‘637-651’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1037/a0019803’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘MacLeod, J. W., Lawrence, M. A., McConnell, M. M., Eskes, G. A., Klein, R. M., & Shore, D. I. (2010). Appraising the ANT: Psychometric and theoretical considerations of the Attention Network Test. Neuropsychology, 24(5), 637–651.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019803’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Arora, S., Lawrence, M. A., & Klein, R. M.’, ‘year’: 2020, ‘title’: ‘The Attention Network Test Database: ADHD and Cross-Cultural Applications’, ‘venue’: ‘Frontiers in Psychology’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Frontiers in Psychology’, ‘volume’: ‘11’, ‘issue’: None, ‘pages’: None, ‘doi’: ‘10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00388’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Arora, S., Lawrence, M. A., & Klein, R. M. (2020). The Attention Network Test database: ADHD and cross-cultural applications. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 388.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00388’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Ishigami, Y., & Klein, R. M.’, ‘year’: 2010, ‘title’: ‘Repeated measurement of the components of attention using two versions of the Attention Network Test (ANT): Stability, isolability, robustness, and reliability’, ‘venue’: ‘Journal of Neuroscience Methods’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Journal of Neuroscience Methods’, ‘volume’: ‘190’, ‘issue’: ‘1’, ‘pages’: ‘117-128’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.04.019’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Ishigami, Y., & Klein, R. M. (2010). Repeated measurement of the components of attention using two versions of the Attention Network Test (ANT): Stability, isolability, robustness, and reliability. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 190(1), 117–128.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.04.019’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Petersen, S. E., & Posner, M. I.’, ‘year’: 2012, ‘title’: ‘The Attention System of the Human Brain: 20 Years After’, ‘venue’: ‘Annual Review of Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Annual Review of Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘35’, ‘issue’: ‘1’, ‘pages’: ‘73-89’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150525’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Petersen, S. E., & Posner, M. I. (2012). The attention system of the human brain: 20 years after. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 35, 73–89.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150525’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}