Return to the Verbal Selective Reminding Task (Visual) page
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VERBAL SELECTIVE REMINDING TASK
(12 word list, 12 trials)
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Date: 04-18-2016
last updated: 03-13-2020 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 03-13-2020 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements the a computerized version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Task;
a list learning and free verbal recall test that allows the simultaneous analysis of long term and
short term storage.
The Verbal Selective Reminding Task presents a list of items and asks participant to freely
recall as many of the items as possible. List items that were not recalled get a reminder.
The Selective Reminding Task is similar to the Restrictive Reminding Task.
The Selective Reminding Task, however, repeats a word anytime it wasn't recalled during the previous trial
whereas the Restrictive Reminding Task only repeats a word if it has not been recalled at least once.
References:
Buschke, H. (1973). Selective reminding for analysis of memory and learning. Journal of
Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 12, 543-550.
Buschke, H., & Fuld, P. A (1974). Evaluating storage, retention, and retrieval in disordered
memory and learning. Neurology, 24, 1019-1025.
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TASK DESCRIPTION
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Participants see a list of 12 words, presented to them one by one, and have to recall as many words as they can
by typing all words into the keyboard.
For those items that were not recalled during the current trial, the words are repeated and participants
are again asked to recall as many of the original list words as they can. This procedure is repeated for 12 trials.
The script automatically calculates per trial:
- number of items with Long Term Storage (LTS) status
- number of items retrieved from LTS (Long Term Retrieval, LTR), both consistent LTR and random LTR
- number of items retrieved from Short term storage (Short Term Retrieval, STR)
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DURATION
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12 repetitions of list learning + free recall/Recognition Task: ~15 min
Break: 30 min
1 delayed free test: ~2 min
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DATA FILE INFORMATION
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The default data stored in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'verbalselectiveremindingtask_visual_raw*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)
build: The specific Inquisit version used (the 'build') that was run
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android)
date, time, date and time script was run
subject, group, with the current subject/groupnumber
script.sessionid: with the current session id
blockcode, blocknum: the name and number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable)
trialcode, trialnum: the name and number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable)
Note: trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run; even those
that do not store data to the data file.
response: the participant's response
correct: the correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect)
latency: the response latency (in ms)
values.SRT_presentedWords: stores the words (reminders) that have been presented for the current trial
values.SRT_countPresented: counts the number of words presented for the current trial
values.prevMissed: number of items that were missed on the previous trial (used for debugging)
values.SRT_recalledWords: stores all the list items that have been successfully recalled (as selected by test administrator)
in the current trial
values.SRT_countRecalled: counts the number of recalled items per SRT trial
values.DR_recalledWords: stores the words entered during the Delayed Recall Task
values.DR_countRecalledWords: counts the number of recalled items during the delayed recall trialestimatedWordCount:
estimates the number of words presented based on number of spaces in response
(autocorrects up if last input was a letter)
values.estimatedWordCount: computer estimated word count
values.countOthers: counts all 'recalls' of words that were not on the list counts all 'recalls' of words that were not on the list (sums them up across SRT trials and resets for DR task)
values.MCR_words: stores all the words selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
(NOT in selection order)
values.MCR_hits: counts the number of words correctly selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
values.MCR_FAs: counts the number of words incorrectly selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
values.skip1-
/skip12: true = the corresponding word (itemnumber) does not need to presented again
false = the corresponding word needs to be presented again during the next trial
(2) Summary data file: 'verbalselectiveremindingtask_visual_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android)
script.startdate: date script was run
script.starttime: time script was started
script.subjectid: assigned subject id number
script.groupid: assigned group id number
script.sessionid: assigned session id number
script.elapsedtime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script
script.completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted);
1 = script was completed (all conditions run)
values.Recall_trial1-
values.Recall_trial12: store the number of Recalled items for trial 1 - trial 12
values.LTS_trial1-
values.LTS_trial12: store the number of items with positive LTS (long term storage) status for trial 1 - trial 12
values.LTR_trial1-
values.LTR_trial12: store the number of items with positive LTR (long term retrieval) status for trial 1 - trial 12
values.CLTR_trial1-
values.CLTR_trial12: store the number of items with positive CLTR (consistent long term retrieval) status for trial 1 - trial 12
Note: CLTR status has to be reached before the last trial
values.randLTR_trial1-
values.randLTR_trial12: store the number of items with positive randLTR (random long term retrieval) status for trial 1 - trial 12
values.STR_trial1-
values.STR_trial12: store the number of items with positive STR (short term retrieval) status for trial 1 - trial 12
values.SRT_countOthers: counts all 'Recalls' of words that were not on the list (sums them up across SRT trials)
values.DR_countRecalledWords: counts the number of words correctly Recalled during the Delayed Recall Task
values.DR_countOthers: counts all delayed 'Recalls' of words that were not on the list
values.MCR_hits: counts the number of words correctly selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
values.MCR_FAs: counts the number of words incorrectly selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
Stimulus Info:
values.SRT_presentedWords1-
values.SRT_presentedWords12: store the words that have been presented for each trial (in the order presented)
values.SRT_recalledWords1-
values.SRT_recalledWords12: store all the Recalled list items for each trial (in the order Recalled)
values.word1_recallPositions-
values.word12_recallPositions: store the positions in which each word was Recalled across the 12 trials
Example: word 1 was Recalled in the following positions in the first 3 trials
"0(=not Recalled in trial1), 7 (=the 7th item Recalled in trial2),
4 (=the 4th item Recalled in trial3), etc"
values.DR_recalledWords: stores the words entered during the Delayed Recall Task (in the order Recalled)
values.MCR_words: stores all the words selected during the Multiple Choice SelectionRecognition Task
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EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
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(1) SRT: Selective Reminding Task
- A word list of 12 items is used and tested across 12 trials. The words are always presented in the same order.
- Participants are asked to recall as many words as they can from the original list by
typing each word into the keyboard.
- Only those items that are not actively recalled during the current trial are repeated on the subsequent trial
This procedure is used to establish
- number of items with Long Term Storage (LTS) status
- number of items retrieved from LTS (=>LTR), both consistent LTR and random LTR
- number of items retrieved from Short term storage (STR)
per trial
Algorithm implemented:
Sum Recalled Items: total number of items recalled on a given trial.
LTS: and item has positive LTS status if it is recalled on 2 subsequent trials
(the second trial being unreminded of this item).
Positive LTS status is retrospectively assigned to the item for the first of the two trials. Once an
item is assigned positive LTS status, it keeps that status for all remaining trials whether or not
it is actively retrieved.
Script counts the number of items that have positive LTS status for each trial.
Note: number of items with LTS status either increases or stays the same from trial to trial;
the number cannot decrease.
The number of items with LTS status, however, can surpass the number of actively recalled items.
LTR: if an item has positive LTS status for the current trial AND is recalled, then the item is considered
to be retrieved from LTR (=positive LTR status) for the purpose of the current trial.
Script counts the number of items with positive LTR status per trial.
Note: the number of items with LTR status in a given trial can vary from trial to trial. However, the number
cannot surpass the number of actively recalled items.
CLTR (consistent LTR): once an item is recalled consistently (that is without fail), it gets assigned
positive CLTR status for the first trial that started the consistent recall.
Script counts the number of items with positive CLTR status per trial.
Note: the number of items with CLTR can only increase or stay the same from trial to trial.
It cannot surpass the number of items with LTR status.
Positive CLTR status has to be reached before the last trial
randLTR (random LTR): all items with positive LTR status in a given trial that have not reached CLTR status yet
are considered to be retrieved randomly from LTS.
Note: the number of items with positive randLTR status in a given trial can vary from trial to trial.
It cannot surpass the number of items with LTR status.
STR: items that are recalled without LTS status are considered to be retrieved from short term storage.
Number of items with STR = (Sum of all Recalled Items) - (number of items with positive LTR status).
(2) MCR: Multiple Choice Recognition Task (optional)
- presents the 12 targets and 12 distractor items in a 4x6 matrix (screen positions are randomly assigned)
- participants can click on as many items as they want (once clicked the items turn blue;
a second click unselects the items) until they click 'Submit'
(3) DR: Delayed Recall Task (optional)
- after a predetermined time frame, participants are asked to do a delayed recall task.
- the computer plays a sound (that should be stopped with a spacebar press) to indicate that the delay time is up.
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STIMULI
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see section Editable Stimuli
(provided stimuli are from Buschke, 1973 and serve as demonstration stimuli only)
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INSTRUCTIONS
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see section Editable Instructions
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EDITABLE CODE
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check below for (relatively) easily editable parameters, stimuli, instructions etc.
Keep in mind that you can use this script as a template and therefore always "mess" with the entire code
to further customize your experiment.
The parameters you can change are:
/stim_fontsize: the size of the presented item in canvas hight percentages (default: 5%)
/stimPresentation: the duration (in ms) the stim words stay on screen (default: 2000ms)
/ISI: the interstimulus interval (in ms) (default: 0ms)
/skipDelayedRecall: false: runs a delayed Recall session; true: skips the delayed Recall session
/timeToRecall: intervall between last response and start of recall trial (in ms) (default: 1800000ms = 30min)
/skipRecognitionTest: false: runs a multiple-choice Recognition Test; true: skips a multiple-choice Recognition Test