Reading Span Task
Description
Complex working memory span task requiring participants to remember letters while judging whether sentences make sense.
Measures: Verbal working memory span, reading comprehension, executive function, dual-task processing
working memory verbal processing executive function dual-task processing reading comprehension
Ages: 18+ · Populations: adults, research, clinical
About This Test
Participants read sentences and judge whether they make sense (True/False), then see a letter to remember. After a series of sentence-letter pairs (set size 3-7), they recall the letters in order by clicking on a grid of 12 possible letters. The task includes practice blocks for letter recall only, sentence judgments only, and combined trials. Sentence processing performance is monitored and participants must maintain 85% accuracy on sentence judgments to ensure divided attention. The main test consists of sets of 3 trials at each set size (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) in random order. Sentence reading time is calculated adaptively based on practice performance.
- Task follows Daneman & Carpenter (1980) original methodology with Unsworth et al. (2009) automated modifications
- Sentence accuracy threshold (default 85%) enforced to ensure divided attention
- Adaptive sentence timeout calculated from practice: mean + 2.5*SD with 1000ms minimum
- Practice includes: letter recall only (3 trials at size 2-3), sentence judgments only (15 trials), combined (3 trials at size 2)
- Main test: 15 trials total with set sizes [3,4,5,6,7] × 3 repetitions in randomized order
- Sentences presented at 40pt font size, letters presented at 80pt font size
- Sentence stimuli loaded from distraction.csv file (true/false sentences)
- Letter recall uses grid with 12 possible letters and Clear/Del/Blank/Done buttons
- Real-time accuracy display shown in test phase (top right corner)
- Trial counter shows current trial / total trials during test phase
- Supports LSL markers for electrophysiological recording integration
- Supports online upload via InitializeUpload() and UploadFile()
- Uses HTML-lite formatted text with adaptive textboxes for instructions
- Includes 7 translations (en, es, de, pt, fr, nl, it) via JSON translation system
- Practice cannot be repeated - stricter than ospan/symmetryspan (allowsecondchance=0)
- Creates HTML report summarizing performance metrics and set size analysis
Test Details
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Scientific Background
Original Task References:
These references describe the original task that this PEBL implementation is based on.
- Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19(4), 450-466.
- Unsworth, N., Redick, T. S., Heitz, R. P., Broadway, J. M., & Engle, R. W. (2009). Complex working memory span tasks and higher-order cognition: A latent-variable analysis of the relationship between processing and storage. Memory, 17(6), 635-654.
Validation status: Validated · Psychometric data available · Normative data available
Originally developed by D. L. Hegarty, with modifications by the PEBL Project. Licensed GPLv3. This implementation follows the Daneman & Carpenter (1980) original reading span procedure with automated modifications from Unsworth et al. (2009). The task has been extensively validated as a measure of verbal working memory capacity and reading comprehension. Migrated to Layout & Response System v2.3 with adaptive formatted textboxes, LSL integration, and online upload support. The reading span task is structurally similar to operation span but uses sentence processing as the distraction task rather than math equations.
Related Tests
Data Output
Creates four files: (1) readingspan-<SUBNUM>.csv with trial-level recall data, (2) readingspan-math-<SUBNUM>.csv with individual sentence judgment responses and reaction times, (3) readingspan-distraction-<SUBNUM>.csv with detailed sentence text and processing data, and (4) readingspan-report-<SUBNUM>.html with summary statistics and visualizations.
Key Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| memcorr | Primary DV for span file: proportion correct letter recall = letters recalled correctly in correct position divided by set size (length) |
| length | Set size: number of letters to recall in this trial (3-7 for test trials, 2-3 for practice) |
| probtime | Sentence presentation timeout in ms, calculated adaptively from practice block (mean RT + 2.5*SD, minimum 1000ms). Applied uniformly across the full test. |
| memtime | Letter presentation timeout in ms (fixed parameter, not adaptive) |
| time | Average response time per letter in ms. Not a primary dependent variable. |
| stim | Comma-separated list of target letters presented |
| resp | Comma-separated list of recalled letters; blank or '?' indicates position was not recalled |
| symprestime | Sentence presentation timeout in ms (sentence files): same adaptive value as probtime in span file |
| problem | Sentence text presented for True/False judgment. Abbreviated in math file; full text in distraction file. |
| corrans | Correct answer for sentence judgment: 1=sentence makes sense (true), 0=does not make sense (false) |
| distcorr | Proportion of sentences judged correctly in this trial (numcorrdist / totnumdist) |
| runningcorrect | Cumulative correct sentence responses across all trials. Not a primary dependent variable. |
| runningtotal | Cumulative total sentences across all trials. Not a primary dependent variable. |
| rt | Reaction time in ms for sentence True/False response (sentence files only) |
Column meanings confirmed with original author D.L. Hegarty (2026). Practice trials numbered sequentially starting from trial 1 (not labeled separately from test trials). Column structure parallels ospan with sentence-specific fields in secondary files. Parameters feedbacktimeout, batterythreshold, requirethresholdprebattery, batteryfeedback, distracttimeoutminimum, distracttimeoutmultiplier follow the same adaptive logic as ospan/symmetryspan.
About This Test
Complex working memory span task requiring participants to remember letters while judging whether sentences make sense.
Category: Memory
Estimated Duration: 15 minutes
Available Translations: 7 languages
Documentation Sources:
Test description file, Test implementation, Parameter schema
Documentation Status: Standard
Originally developed by D.L. Hegarty & Dufflecoat Enterprises (2014), with modifications by the PEBL Project. License: GPLv3.