Digit Span Task (case 19417)

Hi all,

I'm new to DirectRT, and looking to program my first digit span task. I was wondering if anyone has any resources available, since I imagine this is a very common task. Also, maybe this would be easier to program in Medialab than in DirectRT, I'm not sure.

The digit span task would have multiple sections, each one gradually increasing the number of digits participants are asked to recall (through free recall, i.e. typing the number themselves). When participants give an incorrect answer, then that section of the task would end and the program would automatically move on to the next section. I hope that's clear, thanks in advance for any help!

Cheers,
Kyle

Hi Kyle,

This same question came up in a different thread, so I wanted to share that information here as well.

This is an interesting question. The tricky part is that you are looking for open-ended responses for the recall to be judged as correct or incorrect. I think that it is possible using the responses.xls feature of MediaLab.

Let's say that you have participants recall the digit span in any kind of MediaLab item type except an essay item (responses.xls files cannot access answers to essay items). You could then use the name of that variable in a responses.xls file. In the skipto field of the row in the responses.xls file for that item, you should be able to create an Excel formula that suggests if the participants type the correct value they should skip to another digit span item in the questionnaire file but skip to an common ending point if they get it incorrect. Just repeat this for as many different digit spans as you would like to include in your study.

If you have any questions about this idea or would like me to look at any files you put together for this task, please don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck!

Hi all,

I've been struggling with inputting similar commands for a digit-span task but no one has directly explained how or if they overcame it. I would appreciate if someone could share their input file so I could get a better idea for how they did it.

[B]A bit of repetition:[/B]
I'm creating a digit span task so I need to be able to generate different lengths of randomly generated digit sequences that increase in length depending on if the participant correctly recalls two trials of a sequence length (block) and terminates the session depending on if they got two trials wrong within a block (I believe this is supposed to be back-to-back as well).

1). If I randomly generate numbers, the answers to the digit-span task will also have many possible answers that I will not know in advance which answers to input under time (rt: ---) . I'm not sure if there is a way to pair answers to stimuli when stimuli are randomly chosen.

2). If I ignore this issue or do not randomly generate numbers, I'm wondering if there is a way to create a command that would account for the following two if-then functions: if two are correct within a block (or length of sequences) to move on to another block & if two are incorrect, then to terminate the session (skip to the end). Also, I am not sure I can skip to other blocks rather than trials depending on these answers.

I see that responses in Media Lab have been recommended but I'm not sure how this works.
Any help is welcomed!
Thank you,
Nicole

Hi niczam,

Could you please give me more detail about the study design? How many digits would make up a span in each tial? How many blocks would be in a trial? How many blocks did you need?

The digit span task exercises your verbal working memory. Scientists refer to working memory as the cognitive system that allows the temporary storage and manipulation of information. According to one influential cognitive theory, this system has specialised components, one of which, the 'phonological loop', underlies verbal working memory abilities (Baddeley & Hitch 1974). The phonological loop is comprised of a verbal storage system and a rehearsal system. If you do this task, you may find yourself mentally rehearsing the string of digits as they appeared on screen; this is the rehearsal system in action. It allows the visual inputs to be recoded so that they can enter your short term verbal store and it also refreshes decaying representations (that is, any item that is about to be forgotten).
Thanks,
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essay[/url]

Do you have an example of a .csv file for DirectRT that you created that I can see? If so, please upload it here or send it to me directly at [email]support@empirisoft.com[/email] and I'll be happy to look at it.