Ready-to-configure implementation of the classic Simon task - the well-known cognitive psychology paradigm measuring how an irrelevant spatial cue interferes with response selection.The Simon task and effect, first identified by J. R. Simon and his colleague in 1963, demonstrate that people react more swiftly and accurately when the characteristics of a stimulus and its response align, such as both occurring on the same side of the body. This phenomenon is part of the broader category of stimulus-response compatibility effects. It is similar to the Stroop effect in highlighting the challenges experienced during a mismatch between a stimulus and its response, which is easily noticeable.Simon Task - Cognitive Conflict Research Kit gives you a single, well-organized component (SimonTask.cs) that runs the entire experiment: fixation, stimulus presentation, response collection, feedback, breaks, and a results screen - fully driven by Inspector settings.Highly customizable, all through the Inspector:Choose the stimulus modality: Word, Color, Shape, Image, or AudioDefine any number of response categories - each with its own key, color, word, sprite, or audio clip, and its own on-screen "home" positionControl the exact mix of congruent / incongruent / neutral trialsFine-tune every timing value: fixation, stimulus duration, response window, inter-trial interval (with optional jitter), block pausesChoose feedback behavior: immediate, end-of-block, or none - and whether feedback shows as text, stimulus recoloring, or bothFully rewritable on-screen instructions and feedback textsSuited for:Cognitive psychology research and teaching demonstrationsReaction-time / cognitive-conflict studies and screening toolsVR-based cognitive assessment (optional SteamVR integration)Any project needing a validated, well-documented reaction-time paradigm as a building blockIncluded out of the box:7 ready-to-use example scenes and prefabs (one per stimulus modality, plus a neutral-baseline and an advanced 3-choice variant)License-free example graphics and audio - safe for commercial projectsAutomated EditMode/PlayMode tests covering the core trial and statistics logicFull written documentation covering every Inspector settingSupported VR Device Types via SteamVR:ViveOculusBecause all creation and editing functionalities are accessible through the Unity Editor, no coding is required to create and run a custom questionnaire in a scene.For further reading, see:Simon, J.R. and Wolf, J.D. (1963). Choice reaction times as a function of angular stimulus-response correspondence and age. Ergonomics, 6, 99-105.Hommel, B. (1993). Inverting the Simon effect by intention: Determinants of direction and extent of effects of irrelevant spatial information. Psychological Research, 55, 270-279.Prinz, W. & Hommel, B. (2002). Common mechanisms in perception and action: Attention and Performance, Vol. XIX. Oxford: Oxford University Press.We are always interested in scientific collaborations. Please reach out to zefwih@gmail.comKey features:Single-component setup - add SimonTask to a GameObject and configure everything through the Inspector5 stimulus modalities: Word, Color, Shape, Image, Audio (stereo-panned)Configurable N-category design (2 or more response categories)Congruent / Incongruent / Neutral trial generation with adjustable ratios and anti-predictability safeguardsPractice block + multiple scored blocks, with configurable trial counts and a fixed or random seed for reproducible sequencesFull timing control: fixation, stimulus duration, response window, inter-trial interval (fixed or jittered), block pauses3 feedback modes (Immediate / EndOfBlock / None) with independent control of feedback text vs. stimulus recoloringAutomatic statistics: per-condition accuracy, mean/SD reaction time, and the computed Simon effect (RT and accuracy)Full per-trial CSV export plus an auto-generated human-readable session summary3 UnityEvents (per-trial, per-block, per-session) for integration without modifying the sourceOptional VR input via the SteamVR Unity Plugin, usable in parallel with keyboard inputTextMeshPro-based UI with adjustable colors and optional auto font sizing7 ready-to-use example scenes/prefabs includedRequirements:Unity 2021.3 LTS or newerTextMeshPro (TMP Essential Resources)Active Input Handling set to "Input Manager (Old)" or "Both"SteamVR Unity Plugin (optional, only needed for VR input)
