Counting Span Task
Background
The Counting Span (CSPAN) Task is a cognitive-behavioral measure of working memory capacity, originally published by Robbie Case and colleagues in 1982 for children ages 3 to 6. The CSPAN is part of the family of complex span tasks of working memory that use a) a processing phase and b) a recall phase. Other complex span tasks include the Operation Span Task (OSPAN), the Reading Span Task (RSPAN) and Symmetry Span Task (SYMMSPAN).
Performance on these complex span tasks is highly correlated with fluid intelligence, reading comprehension, and problem-solving skills.
Task Procedure
During the processing phase of the CSPAN, participants are shown a screen with 3-9 green dots and 3-9 yellow dots. Participants are asked to count only the green dots and press the respective number key as soon as they have finished counting. They are also instructed to remember this number for a later recall test. The recall test starts after the requisite number of dot pages have been run (this number depends on the span level being tested). Participants are asked to enter the recalled sums into a free recall box in the order they remember them. For very young test takers test administrators may type in the responses for the participants. Millisecond also offers a 'verbal' CSPAN that leverages a device's speech recognition functionality for response scoring.
Participants get to run through a practice session to familiarize them with the procedure. The default level chosen for the practice session is 1. All participants start the testing sessions with span level 1 and receive three trials per level. If they get at least one out of the three trials correct, they move up a level. Otherwise, the testing session will terminate. The maximum level tested by Case et al (1982) was 5. The Millisecond procedure runs up to level 9. The trials are run in a fixed order for each level.
The final span score is determined based on the highest level at which a participant is able to recall two out of the three trials correctly. If additional sets are recalled at a higher level of N, an additional third of a point is allotted. For example, if a participant recalls two out three trials on level 4 and one additional trial at level 5, a score of 4.3 would be assigned. By default, the script uses a 'conservative' style of assessing accuracy of the response: all sums have to be recalled in the exact order as presented. Test administrators can also choose a more lenient scoring approach that allows any order of the correct sums as long as the first sum recalled is not the last sum counted.
What it Measures
The CSPAN is a measure of working memory capacity.
Psychological domains
- Executive Functioning
- Working Memory: Working memory maintenance during active processing of distracting information
- Fluid Intelligence: Strongly correlated (.45 - .55) with Gf
Main Performance Metrics
- Counting Span: Last level where participant recalled two trials correctly plus partial credit for any single trials on higher level
Psychiatric Conditions
CSPAN performance tends to be impaired in patients with the following psychiatric conditions:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Schizophrenia
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD)
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Test Variations
The Counting Span Test using keyboard input as introduced by Case et all (1982).
The Counting Span Test using voice input as introduced by Case et all (1982).
References
Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Counting Span Task.
Case, R., Kurland, M. D., & Goldberg, J. (1982). Operational efficiency and the growth of short-term memory span. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 33, 386-404.
Bull, R., & Johnston, R. S. (January 01, 1997). Children's arithmetical difficulties: contributions from processing speed, item identification, and short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 65, 1, 1-24.
Cowan, N., Towse, J. N., Hamilton, Z., Saults, J. S., Elliott, E. M., Lacey, J. F., et al. (2003). Children’s working-memory processes: A response-timing analysis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 132, 113-132.
Conway, A. R., Kane, M. J., Bunting, M. F., Hambrick, D. Z., Wilhelm, O., & Engle, R. W. (January 01, 2005). Working memory span tasks: A methodological review and user's guide. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 12, 5, 769-86.