Verbal Selective Reminding Task (SRT)

Background

The (Verbal) Selective Reminding Task (SRT) is a cognitive-behavioral assessment tool of verbal learning and memory that allows the simultaneous analysis of long term and short term storage. The task was introduced by Herman Buschke in 1973 and has become an effective diagnostic tool to identify the cause of memory failures in patients suffering from memory impairments.

A typical SRT procedure tests participants on list learning memory of various items (e.g. 12 animals). In a sequence of 12 trials, the VSR task presents the list of the items one-by-one and then asks participants to freely recall as many of the items as possible. Each subsequent trial only repeats the items that were not recalled during the previous recall trial ('selective reminding'). Depending on recall performance, items can be assigned 'Long-term Storage' (LTS) status. This status is assigned to items that are recalled on 2 subsequent trials without having to be reminded the second time. Once an item is assigned (retrospectively) positive LTS status, it keeps that status for all remaining trials whether or not it is actively retrieved during a recall trial. If an LST item is actively retrieved during recall, the item is believed to be retrieved from long-term storage and is assigned LTR status for the given trial. Once an item is recalled consistently (that is without fail), it gets assigned (retrospectively) consistent-LTR (CLTR) status. Items that have not reached CLTR status (yet) but are retrieved, get assigned random-LTR (RLTR) status. Any items that are retrieved without LTS status, are considered to be retrieved from short-term memory (STR) only, though it can be argued that even items with LTS status that received a reminder may have been retrieved from short-term memory or at least received a short-term memory booster.

A variant of the SRT task, the (Verbal) Restrictive Reminding Task (RRT) runs a similar procedure but only repeats words that have not been recalled at least once. The SRT task helps (a) separate retrieval from short vs. long term storage, (b) estimate long-term storage, and (c) separate retrieval from long-term storage into consistent and random retrieval. The RRT completes the SRT by providing a clearer look at long-term storage and retrieval as all recalled words without prior reminders must be retrieved from long-term memory without any further boost from short-term storage.

Task Procedure

The Millisecond SRT (RRT) default task runs for 12 learning/immediate recall trials and tests participants on a list of 12 items (all from the category 'animal'). The first learning trial presents all items, one-by-one, for 2 seconds each. After the list presentation, a free recall textbox is provided and participants are asked to enter as many of the list words that they remember. On the next trial the SRT presents only those items that were missed. The SRT reminds participants of missed items any time they are missed; the RRT on the other hand, only provides a reminder for items that have never been recalled. After 12 list learning and recall sequences, the script (retrospectively) assigns LTS, LTR (CLTR and RLTR) as well as STR status. An optional delayed recall trial as well as a recognition test can be run at the end. The recognition test lists 24 items (12 list items and 12 distractors) all at once and asks participant to select only the list items.

What it Measures

The SRT is a measure of verbal learning and memory

Psychological domains

• Short-term Memory: Temporary storage of information (limited)
• Long-term Memory: Brain system for storing, managing, and retrieving information over extended periods
• Episodic Memory: Type of declarative long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific event instances or episodes
• Acquisition: The ability to absorb new information over repeated exposures
• Memory Retrieval: Ability to search, locate, and extract static facts from long-term memory
• Retention: Ability to hold on information in long-term memory

Main Performance Metrics

• Total Recall: Number of all recalled items summed up across each immediate recall trial; basic measure of overall verbal learning capacity
• Number of LTS items: on last immediate recall trial -> measure of long-term storage capacity
• Number of CLTR items: on last immediate recall trial -> measure of reliable long-term storage
• Number of STR items: on last immediate recall trial -> measure of how heavily the patient remains dependent on external memory cues/reminders
• Number of recalled items during the Delay Recall Trial: Measure of Storage Decay

Psychiatric Conditions

The following patients show memory impairements when tested with the SRT/RRT tasks

• Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
• Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
• Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
• Huntington's Disease (HD)
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Test Variations

References

Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Verbal Selective Reminding Task (SRT).

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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.

Muramoto, O. (1984). Selective reminding in normal and demented aged people: Auditory verbal versus visual spatial task. Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior, 20(4), 461-78.

Fletcher, J. (1985). Memory for verbal and nonverbal stimuli in learning disability subgroups: Analysis by selective reminding. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 40(2), 244-259.

Hart, R., Kwentus, J., Hamer, R., Taylor, J., & Lawton, M. Powell. (1987). Selective Reminding Procedure in Depression and Dementia. Psychology and Aging, 2(2), 111-115.

Smith, Renee L., & Others. (1995). Selective Reminding Test Short Form Administration: A Comparison of Two through Twelve Trials. Psychological Assessment, 7(2), 177-82.