Script Author: David Nitz (nitz.david@gmail.com, Millisecond
Task Copyright © 2005 by Dr. Randall Engle (copyright for Arspan, https://psychology.gatech.edu/renglelab/)
Last Modified: November 21, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This script implements the Automated Reading Span Task (Arspan, Conway et al, 2005), a measure of working memory.
CONWAY, A.R.A., KANE, M.J.,BUNTING, M.F., D. ZACH HAMBRICK, D.Z., WILHELM, O., & ENGLE, R.W. (2005). Working memory span tasks: A methodological review and user’s guide. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 2005, 12 (5), 769-786.
20 minutes
Participants are presented a visual sequences of letters ranging from 3-7 letters (default) that need to be recalled at the end. Each letter in the sequence in preceded by a sentence problem ('Andy was stopped by the policeman because he crossed the yellow heaven') followed by the task to decide whether this sentence made sense. Letter recall is tested by asking participants to select letters from a provided letter matrix.
by setting parameters.debugmode = 1, the script runs in debug mode and presents the correct responses
1 Practice Session (default):
a) Practice of recalling sequences of letters of set sizes 2-3 in ascending order (4 trials)
b) Practice of semantic evaluations (15 trials)
c) Combined practice of recalling sequence of letters (set size 2 only) and semantic evaluation of sentences:
each letter is preceded by either a sentence that makes sense or one that does not (3 trials).
Letter recall is done by picking out letters from a provided letter matrix.
Test Session (default):
15 Trials (15 = 3 repetitions of 5 set sizes; order of set sizes is randomly determined):
Recalling sequences of letters (set size 3-7): each letter is preceded preceded by either a sentence
that makes sense or one that does not.
Letter recall is done by picking out letters from a provided letter matrix.
Scoring:
The program reports five values at the conclusion of the experiment:
The first, rspan score, uses the traditional “absolute rspan” scoring method.
It is the sum of all perfectly recalled sets.
So, for example, if an individual recalled correctly 2 letters in a set size of 2,
3 letters in a set size of 3, and 3 letters in a set size of 4,
their rspan score would be 5 (2 + 3 + 0).
Total number correct is the total number of letters recalled in the correct position
(2 + 3 + 4 = 9 in the above example).
Sentence errors are reported as total number of errors,
accuracy errors where the subject judged the sentence incorrectly,
and speed errors in which the subject ran out of time
in attempting to solve a given sentence problem.
Letters: T, L, Q, N, F, H, Y, S, P, K, R, J
sentences: check section Editable Stimuli
Instructions can be edited under section Editable Instructions
File Name: automatedrspan_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 script was run |
| starttime | Time script was started |
| subjectid | Assigned subject id number |
| groupid | Assigned group id number |
| sessionid | Assigned session id number |
| elapsedtime | Time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| rspan | The rspan score (reading span), uses the traditional 'absolute rspan' scoring method. It is the sum of all perfectly recalled sets. So, for example, if an individual recalled correctly 2 letters in a set size of 2, 3 letters in a set size of 3, and 3 letters in a set size of 4, their rspan score would be 5 (2 + 3 + 0). |
| rpcu | Partial credit unit for the rspan task number of correct recalled letters (in any position) relative to all presented letters |
| totalLetters | The total letter count (across all sets) |
| totalCorrectLettersAP | The total number of correct letters recalled in any position (AP) |
| totalCorrectLettersCP | The total number of correct letters recalled in the correct position (CP) |
| totalRecalledSets | The number of correctly recalled sets |
| sentenceTotalErrors | Counts number of any errors (speed or accuracy) made during sentence evaluation within the current block |
| sentenceSpeedErrors | Counts the number of times participant ran out of time during sentence evaluation within the current block |
| sentenceAccErrors | Counts the number of times participant ran out of time during sentence evaluation within the current block |
File Name: automatedrspan_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. |
| response | The participant's response (scancode of response buttons) |
| correct | Accuracy of response: 1 = correct response; 0 = otherwise |
| latency | The response latency (in ms) |
| currentSetSize | The number of letters to recall for the current problem |
| text.letters.currentItem | The currently presented letter |
| sentenceProblemCount | Counts the number sentences in a given block |
| sentenceTimeout | Duration (in ms) after which the sentence disappears (for test block: calculated for each participant based on average performance during practice) |
| sentence | The currently presented sentence |
| sentenceTotalErrors | Counts number of any errors (speed or accuracy) made during sentence classification within the current block |
| sentenceAccErrors | Counts the number of incorrectly classified sentences within the current block |
| sentenceSpeedErrors | Counts the number of times participant ran out of time when reading the sentence within the current block |
| presentedLetters | The presented letters in order |
| setLetterCount | The current letter count (for this set) |
| totalLetters | The total letter count (across all sets) |
| recalledLetters | The number of letters recalled of the current problem/set |
| totalCorrectLettersAP | The total number of correct letters recalled in any position (AP) |
| totalCorrectLettersCP | The total number of correct letters recalled in the correct position (CP) |
| totalRecalledSets | The number of correctly recalled sets |
| rspan | The rSpan (reading span) score, uses the traditional "absolute rspan" scoring method. It is the sum of all perfectly recalled sets. So, for example, if an individual recalled correctly 2 letters in a set size of 2, 3 letters in a set size of 3, and 3 letters in a set size of 4, their lSpan score would be 5 (2 + 3 + 0). |
| rpcu | Partial credit unit for the rspan task number of correct recalled letters (in any position) relative to all presented letters |
| trialCount | Trial counter (updated under trial 'letter_feedback') |
| recalledLettersPerTrial | The number of recalled letters for the current trial only (updated under trial 'letter_feedback') |
| recalledLettersAccPerTrial | Proportion correct recalled letters for the current trial only (updated under trial 'letter_feedback') |
| correctSentencesPerTrial | The number of correctly categorized sentences for the current trial only (updated under trial 'letter_feedback') |
| sentenceAccPerTrial | Proportion correctly categorized sentences for the current trial only (updated under trial 'letter_feedback') |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| learninginterval | Duration (in ms) of the letter presentation trials | |
| startsentencetimeout | Start duration (in ms) of the sentence presentation trials the duration is adjusted for the test trials based on practice performance | |
| debugmode | 0 = testmode => no debug information is presented 1 = debugmode => debug information is presented on screen |