The Psychology Experiment Building Language

Free, open-source software for creating psychology experiments

About PEBL

PEBL is a free programming language and execution environment designed specifically for creating psychology experiments. It provides:

Free & Open Source

Licensed under the GPL, PEBL is completely free to use, modify, and distribute.

Cross-Platform

Runs natively on Windows, Linux, and macOS using SDL graphics library, or within a web browser via WebAssembly.

Ready-Made Tests

Access 100+ psychological tests in the battery, ready to use or customize.

Widely Used

Used in thousands of publications by researchers around the world.

Get Started

Everything you need to start using PEBL:

  • Download PEBL - Get the latest version for your platform
  • Test Library - Browse and run 100+ psychological tests online
  • Documentation - Manuals, guides, and programming resources
  • GitHub - Source code, issues, and development
  • OpenScales - 555+ psychological scales and surveys

Latest Release

PEBL 2.4

Released April 2026

Version 2.4 includes major new features:

  • OpenScales Integration: Browse and run 555+ psychological scales from the new OpenScales repository directly in the launcher
  • Scale Builder: Graphical editor for creating and editing OSD-format scales with Likert, VAS, multiple-choice, and text entry response types
  • Lab Streaming Layer (LSL): Native EEG/neuroimaging synchronization via --lsl <StreamName> flag; works cross-network with LabRecorder
  • Consent System: Consent form items in study chains with clean decline/abort handling
  • New Battery Tasks: Digit Symbol Coding, Pattern Comparison (same/different and sequential variants), updated Spatial Cueing
  • ~80 tests available online via PEBL Hub with expanded translation support

Download PEBL 2.4 Full Release Notes

Introducing OpenScales

A Free, Open Repository of Psychological Scales

The PEBL 2.4 release coincides with the launch of OpenScales — a free, community-maintained repository of 555+ psychological rating scales and surveys. OpenScales is independent of PEBL but designed to work seamlessly with it.

  • Scales spanning cognitive, clinical, personality, and health domains
  • Open Scale Definition (OSD) format: portable JSON encoding of items, scoring, translations, and metadata
  • Runs natively in PEBL, on PEBL Hub online, or via a standalone JavaScript runner
  • Community contributions of new scales and translations welcome

OpenScales Website OpenScales on GitHub

Getting Started Videos

Watch these tutorials to learn how to install and use PEBL:

Community and Support

Get help and connect with other PEBL users:

  • Discord: Join our Discord community for real-time chat and support
  • Mailing List: Join the pebl-list for questions and discussions
  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features on GitHub
  • SourceForge: Visit the project page for additional resources