Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: November 02, 2016
Last Modified: April 02, 2026 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements a Listening Span Test with word recall based on Cai et al. (2015). The Listening Span Test is a complext span test to measure working memory capacity. It was originally developed by Daneman & Carpenter (1980).
Sentences used in this script are not original to Cai et al. They are taken from the Inquisit automatedlspan.iqjs script and can easily exchanged.
Cai et al. (2015). Factors contributing to individual differences in the development of consecutive interpreting competence for beginner student interpreters. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 9(1), 104-120.
Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19(4), 450–466.
15 minutes
Participants hear a set of 2-6 sentences (that are either semantically correct or not) and are asked to evaluate each sentence to make sense (press 'e') or to be nonsensical (press 'i') while trying to retain the last word of each sentence for a later recall test.
After the last sentence of the current set, participants are asked to enter all the last words (2-6) into a provided textbox. The computer automatically scores the response and provides feedback to the participant. At this point, participants can request a manual rescoring for a particular response - e.g. if they made a spelling error. The data file will flag those responses with values.rescoreRequest = 1.
tests 5 setsizes (2-6), within subjects
1. Practiceblock: 2 trials (setsize2, setsize3 => 5 practice sentences, 3 make sense, 2 do not)
(no practice information in Cai et al, 2015)
2. Testblock: 15 trials (setsize2-6 => 60 test sentences, each set size presented 3 times;
order is randomly determined; half the sentences make sense, the other do not)
Scoring:
The listeningSpanScore in this script is the overall number of correctly recalled (last) words
(see Cai et al, 2015) with a Max Score = 60. This measure is calculated independently of
sentence evaluation accuracy.
The computer automatically scores the participant's input and compares it to the correct input
for the current set of sentences.
Specifically, the computer checks for each last word if it is contained in the participant's input.
Automatic scoring works only if no spelling mistakes are made (all input is converted to lower case letters automatically).
Participants receive performance feedback after each trial sequence and can request a manual re-scoring.
The calculated number of correct words is independent of the order in which the words were presented
(participants are asked to NOT start with the last presented word, but the rule is not enforced).
Sentences used in this script are not original to Cai et al. They are taken from the
Inquisit automatedlspan.iqjs script and are provided as demonstration examples only.
The sentences are read by a native speaker of American English.
You can exchange the stimuli for your own under section Editable Stimuli
in script 'listeningspantask_wordrecall_instructions_inc.iqjs'
Instructions are not original to Cai et al. They are provided by Millisecond and
can be edited under section Editable Instructions in script 'listeningspantask_wordrecall_instructions_inc.iqjs'
File Name: listeninspantask_wordrecall_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| startDate | Date the session was run |
| startTime | Time the session was run |
| subjectId | Participant ID |
| groupId | Group number |
| sessionId | Session number |
| elapsedTime | Session duration in ms |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| reScoring | Number of times participant has requested a manual rescoring |
| propCorrectOverall | Proportion of correctly judged sentences across all levels |
| propCorrectLevel2 | Proportion of correctly judged sentences in level2 |
| propCorrectLevel3 | Proportion of correctly judged sentences in level3 |
| propCorrectLevel4 | Proportion of correctly judged sentences in level4 |
| propCorrectLevel5 | Proportion of correctly judged sentences in level5 |
| propCorrectLevel6 | Proportion of correctly judged sentences in level6 |
| listeningSpanScore | Overall number of correctly recalled words (Max = 60) |
File Name: listeninspantask_wordrecall_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| computer.touch | 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities |
| computer.hasKeyboard | 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockcode | The name the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| blocknum | The number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialcode | The name of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) |
| trialnum | The number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run even those that do not store data to the data file. |
| practice | 1 = practice; 0 = test |
| setSize | Number of sentences presented (2-6) |
| phase | 1 = Sentence Evaluations; 2 = Last Word Recall |
| stimulusItem | The presented stimuli in order of trial presentation |
| sentenceItemNumber | The itemNumber of the currently presented sentence |
| sense | True (the sentence makes sense) vs. False (the sentence does not make sense) |
| response | The participant's response |
| input | Stores the words entered by participant |
| recall | The cleaned-up input |
| correctResponse | Stores the last words of the presented sentences ( compound words such as 'good-bye' or 'backyard' have been shortened to the last word such as 'bye' and 'yard') |
| correct | The correctness of the response (1 = correct; 0 = incorrect) |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
| countCorrect | Stores the number of correctly recalled words for the current set size ( order is not important) |
| recallWordEstimate | Stores an estimate of the number of words recalled |
| intrusionWords | Stores all the words that were not recognized as 'last' words from the participant's input |
| listeningSpanScore | Overall number of correctly recalled words up this point |
| reScoreRequest | 1 = participant requests a manual rescoring of her response (potential spelling errors etc not considered by automatic scoring) 0 = otherwise |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
Response Keys |
||
| senseKey | The 'makes sense' key ; the left response button on a QWERTY keyboard | "E" |
| nonsenseKey | The 'does not make sense' key; the right response button on a QWERTY keyboard | "I" |