List Learning Task

Background

List Learning tasks are commonly used neuropsychological assessment tools for verbal learning and memory. They are usually divided into several phases:

1. Learning phase with immediate free recall (usually repeated several times): Presents a list of words at a steady pace. Words are either presented visually or as spoken words. Immediately after the word list presentation, participants are asked to recall as many words as possible from the list, usually in whatever order. Responses can be collected in visual or auditory form.

2. Delayed free recall phase: After a delay (e.g. 20 minutes), participants are asked to recall as many words as possible from the list, usually in whatever order. Responses can be collected in visual or auditory form.

3. Recognition test phase: Participants are presented several words, one-at-a time and have to decide whether the word was part of the learning list or not. Usually half the words are list words, the other half are distractor words.

One popular version of such a list learning task is the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for clinicial populations and the challenging Modified Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (ModRey) for non-clinical and pre-clinical populations. This current version of a List Learning Task runs a basic visual list learning task procedure (with two alternate version) which was inspired by the one used by the Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status (RBANS, Randolph et al, 1998).

Task Procedure

Participants are presented with a list of 10 words, one at a time, on the computer screen. The words are presented in a fixed order, and each word is presented for 2seconds. Once the list has finished, a textbox appears and participants are asked to enter as many of the list words as they remember, in any order. The list learning/recall task is repeated 3 more times before a 15 minutes break. After the break, participants work through an optional delayed recall test and a recognition task: 20 words are presented to them, one by one, and participants have to decide whether the word was part of the original list (if so, press Y) or not (if so, press N). Half of the words (10) are list words, the other ones are new distractor words.

What it Measures

List Learning Tasks are cognitive-behavioral assessments of verbal learning and episodic memory

Psychological domains

• Episodic Memory: Type of declarative long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific event instances or episodes
• Short-term Memory: Temporary storage of information (limited)
• Acquisition: The ability to absorb new information over repeated exposures
• Long-term Memory: Long-term storage of information
• Encoding: Ability to organize and store information in long-term memory
• Retrieval: Ability to retrieve information from long-term memory
• Retention: Ability to hold on information in long-term memory

Main Performance Metrics

• Number of Words Recalled: The number of words correctly recalled during the immediate, short-delayed and long-delayed recall trials
• Recognition Score: The number of correctly identified recognition items

Psychiatric Conditions

List Learning tasks are typically used in research and in clinics. List Learning performance is generally impaired in the following patient groups

• Alzheimer Disease (AD)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Depression
• Schizophrenia

Test Variations

References

Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit List Learning Task.

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Ivnik, R., Malec, J., Tangalos, E., Petersen, R., Kokmen, E., Kurland, L., & Kazdin, Alan E. (1990). The Auditory–Verbal Learning Test (AVLT): Norms for Ages 55 Years and Older. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2(3), 304-312.

Basso, M., Bornstein, R., & Cermak, Laird S. (1999). Relative Memory Deficits in Recurrent Versus First-Episode Major Depression on a Word-List Learning Task. Neuropsychology, 13(4), 557-563.

Yuspeh, R., Koltai, D., & Welsh-Bohmer, K. (1999). Learning over trials: Normative data for an index of verbal learning for the CERAD Word List Learning Task. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 14(8), 670.

Dierckx, E., Engelborghs, S., De Raedt, R., De Deyn, P., D’haenens, E., Verté, D., & Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, I. (2011). The 10-word learning task in the differential diagnosis of early Alzheimer's disease and elderly depression: A cross-sectional pilot study. Aging & Mental Health, 15(1), 113-121.

Rahimi-Golkhandan, Maruff, Darby, & Wilson. (2012). Barriers to Repeated Assessment of Verbal Learning and Memory: A Comparison of International Shopping List Task and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test on Build-Up of Proactive Interference. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 27(7), 790-795.

Alexandra, Myott, Modesto, Raffo, Peñate, Melo, . . . Loewenstein. (2016). A-29Proactive Semantic Interference (PSI) Deficits, and the Inability to Recover from PSI on a Novel List-Learning Task Demonstrate Increased Sensitivity in Identifying Elderly Persons at Risk of Developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 31(6), 594.