Short Term Working Memory Test

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Thank you.

The results from my third trial are 81.25% correct, average time 598.63 ms (what does that mean?) and "combined" (huh?) is 736.77.

My trick is to name the object in my head. "Car, fish, heart, fish-- click-- heart-- click-- boot, car, cat..."

Results from trial four: 66.67% I think it's because of all the sequences that go X, Y, X, X. I always click the last X. Invariably.

From trial five: 86.67

73.33

93.33

100

80

598.63 is the average time in milliseconds between each of your clicks. 736.77 is the average time 598.63 divided by the the percent correct .8125 =736.77

The faster you click and the greater percentage you get correct, the lower your overall combined score is.

My average correct from 6 plays is 65.23.

My average time out of those six plays is 902.92 ms.

After I understood the game I'm not sure I did any better after that. If I kept on doing it I might get better like one would with a video game, maybe.

60% first time, 85.71% second time.

I noticed a similar improvement in a test I designed myself, in which I had to repeat a string of digits in reverse order.

I don't really know why I seem to improve so much....though it's possibly nothing more remarkable than the old adage "practice makes perfect." I suspect that it's to do with the way it takes me time to focus on anything new - with familiarity I usually get better. One thing I always do with such memory tests is to speak the names of the items out loud. I suspect, but haven't proved, that my auditory memory is better than my "imagination" memory, if that makes any sense. Music is a big special interest with me, so I guess my awareness of sounds is unusually well-developed.

One variable in working-memory tests is the number of interfering elements between the point in time when the subject is shown the target, and the point when the response is required. I see this test only has one interfering element. But it's enough to make it difficult, at least for me.

I sure don't rate my working memory as particularly good, in fact I think a lot of the anxiety I get at work is down to my noticing that a request from my employer might get forgotten because of interference from all the other things he wants me to do.

I took notes at work just like school. Not only did it remind me of everything I had to do but it also helped me focus while I was taking the notes. Kind of the same way that saying the words of the pictures in the short term memory test help me focus. I would of had horrible anxiety without the notebook, the times I misplaced it were quite anxiety provoking, fortunately I never lost one. I probably should of used a notebook at home as well; my family would of been happier.

Good idea....unfortunately, for some weird reason I get into a mess with "to-do" lists. I'm fine with shopping lists because they're relatively simple. With the kind of work I do (research), the nature of my tasks often varies after the fact, depending on how circumstances unfold. So I had to fall back on the "dynamic" properties of human memory, precarious though it was. Nor could I use both methods simultaneously - once I make a list, I kind of lock onto it and become its slave rather than its master.

Did the test a third time last night.....got 100% One thing that may have helped was that I quit while I was ahead (as soon as the "results available" thing came up). I'm sure I couldn't have continued much longer without making a mistake.