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Digit Span Test

The digit span test measures short term memory by having subjects recall increasingly long sequences of digits. It primarily tests attention rather than memory. The test was conducted using the PEBL software, which presented digits sequences for recall. The participant's memory span was the longest sequence they could fully recall. Most adults can recall 7 plus or minus 2 digits. The participant's score and any errors made are presented, and factors affecting memory recall are discussed.

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630 views

Digit Span Test

The digit span test measures short term memory by having subjects recall increasingly long sequences of digits. It primarily tests attention rather than memory. The test was conducted using the PEBL software, which presented digits sequences for recall. The participant's memory span was the longest sequence they could fully recall. Most adults can recall 7 plus or minus 2 digits. The participant's score and any errors made are presented, and factors affecting memory recall are discussed.

Uploaded by

eva.tony
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DIGIT SPAN TEST

The Digit Span task requires subjects to repeat series of digits of increasing length. Digit span
forward is a good measure of simple attention, and most healthy individuals perform within the
seven plus/minus two span of apprehension range. While some consider the digit span test to be
representative of a memory task, the demands on memory per se are minimal, and digit span
forward is best considered as a measure of attention.

Our working memory is a complicated system that allows us to process new stimuli while using
old information at the same time (Conway et al., 2005). Note that usually, working memory is
measured via three scales: Arithmetic, Digit Span, and Letter-Number Sequencing (Lovett et al.,
2011).

Digit Span in the Real World

Verbal working memory is involved in many everyday tasks, from remembering a telephone
number while you enter it into your phone, to understanding long and difficult sentences. Think
about it; how could you understand a whole sentence if you couldn't remember the words at the
beginning long enough to connect with the words at the end! Verbal working memory is also
thought to be one of the elements underlying intelligence, so the digit span task is a common
component of many IQ tests, including the widely used WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale). Performance on the digit span task is also closely linked to language learning abilities;
improving your verbal memory capacity may therefore help you to master a new language or to
expand your vocabulary.

Method

Aim: To measure the short term memory using a digit span test.

Plan: To conduct the computerised memory span task through digit span test with PEBL to the
subject.

Participant

In the same format as was given in the previous report

Materials: Digit span experiment on PEBL


Digit span test: Memory span test is one of the commonly used tests to measure short term
memory. The test could be performed with presentation of items that are words, images or
numbers. When the numbers are used as items, it is called as digit span test. During the test, the
working memory span is measured with sequential digits that can accurately be remembered.
Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) version of the test is used in the current
experiment. The task consists of the presentation of three digits which are to be recalled. The
length of digits increased sequentially.

Procedure

The subject is seated comfortably. Rapport has to be established. The following subject
details are recorded: name (initials), age, sex and education. After the basic orientation to the
test, the subject will be asked to start the test. Sequences of numerical digits (from 0 to 9) are
presented on the screen for a few milliseconds. The correct sequence of the digits has to be
recalled and typed. The task starts with a three digit long number and the complexity increases
after each trial. The upper bound is10 digit long number that has to be recalled. Three lists of
digits are given for each trial length. Two consecutive wrong attempts leads to the end of the task
and the memory span of the person will be given at the end of the task. If two out of three lists
are completed correctly, then it will move on to the next longest list length. A few practice trials
have to be given to the subject to reduce the interference of response delay. Once the participant
has finished all the trials, the saved data will be downloaded in an excel sheet from the PEBL
response repository.

Instructions

The following instructions are to be given to the subject: “You are about to take part in a
memory test. You will be presented with a sequence of digits. Each digit will occur only once
during a list. You will then be asked to type the list of digits exactly in the order you saw them
in. If you do not know what digit comes next, you can skip over it by typing the ‘-’ key. Try to
put the numbers in the original list positions. If you make a mistake, you can use the backspace
key to make a correction. You will start with a list of three items and will get three different lists
at each length. If you are able to recall two out of three lists completely correctly, you will move
on to the next longest list length”.
Ethical Considerations
As what was followed in previous report

Analysis of Results

The data on the responses of the participant was downloaded from the repository of
PEBL. The memory span is represented by the length of the number that could be recalled
correctly. The more the digit span, the more the working memory span is. The person will be
able to remember the digits like in the case of phone numbers, more accurately.

Results and Discussion


Table 1
Memory span of the participant
Length of Digit Span Total time Interpretation

Introduction to the test


Participants score - Explain - Errors made and the final length of digit of span
Discussion - Factors - contributing or affecting memory recall.

*The average digit span for normal adults without error is seven plus or minus two

Conclusion

Conclusion can be drawn in line with the aim of the experiment

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