The Word Association Challenges tool is an interactive online activity developed by Kaplan Therapy. It uses various word-based tasks (like finding related words, identifying category members, or applying specific rules like finding antonyms) to engage and potentially enhance cognitive skills such as cognitive flexibility, semantic processing, attention, and inhibitory control. It also provides insights into your performance patterns.

The tasks included are inspired by methods and concepts used in cognitive psychology research to study semantic networks, cognitive control, and flexibility. While the tool itself may not be formally validated as a clinical assessment, it’s designed based on principles known to engage these specific cognitive functions. It serves as an educational and self-exploration tool.

The difficulty levels adjust several factors:
Relaxed: More time per session, potentially fewer choices per round, slightly more lenient scoring. Good for learning or a low-pressure experience.
Focused: A balanced challenge with moderate time and standard scoring. The default experience.
Challenging: Less time per session, potentially more choices, stricter scoring. For those seeking a tougher mental workout.

High scores are tracked separately for each difficulty level.

Your score is based on performance in each round. You generally earn points for correctly identifying targets (‘Hits’) and lose points for missing targets (‘Misses’) or selecting incorrect words (‘False Alarms’). Using a hint incurs a small point penalty. There might also be small bonuses, for instance related to confidence ratings. The final score reflects both accuracy and efficiency across the session, adjusted by a multiplier for the difficulty level.

If you’re stuck on a round, the ‘Hint’ button will identify and gray out one of the incorrect options (a distractor) that you haven’t selected. This can help narrow down the possibilities. Using a hint costs a small amount of points for that round and can only be used once per round.

This button initiates a very brief (a few seconds) mindful pause. The screen will gently remind you to focus on your breath. It’s designed to help you quickly reset your focus, reduce potential frustration, and incorporate a moment of mindfulness into the cognitive task, which can sometimes improve performance.

Rating your confidence (Low, Medium, High) before confirming your answer is optional but encouraged. It promotes metacognition – thinking about your own thinking. Comparing your confidence level to your actual accuracy on a round can help you better understand how well you assess your own knowledge and certainty. This self-awareness is a valuable skill.

After you finish a session (either by running out of time or stopping early), the tool analyzes your performance across all the rounds you completed. The ‘Cognitive Insights’ section provides a summary interpretation based on patterns in your accuracy, error types (misses vs. false alarms), performance on different rule types, and confidence calibration (if used). It aims to highlight potential cognitive strengths and areas where you might focus future practice or exploration.

Absolutely not. This tool is designed for educational purposes, self-exploration, and cognitive engagement. It is not a substitute for a professional medical or psychological evaluation. If you have concerns about your cognitive function, memory, attention, or learning, please consult a qualified healthcare professional or psychologist.

Yes, the tool is currently offered free of charge by Kaplan Therapy.

No account is required to use the tool. Your high scores for each difficulty level are typically saved locally in your web browser’s storage, so they might persist between sessions on the same device and browser, but they are not stored centrally.