Task

Definition: A task is an experimental condition or manipulation set by an experimenter who instructs participants to respond in a particular way to a particular set of stimuli. For example, in a Stroop task, the participant is instructed to respond to the color of the letters (not the word meaning). Tasks can be very simple (e.g., watch the movie) or very complex (task switching studies) but they provide the primary way by which an experimenter can direct the cognitive processes of a participant and then analyze the neural systems engaged in those cognitive processes.

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Related terms: Block-design; Event-related design; Experimental Paradigm