Course Demos
This is a collection of demos that may be helpful for understanding the memory experiments and findings that we cover in class.
Note: Please keep in mind that these demos are meant to give you a feel for how we measure real world phenomena in a lab. Although some will give you your results, remember that healthy people vary a lot on how they do on any given task – any results are not diagnostic!
Working Memory
Sensory Memory: Sperling Partial Report Procedure
A demonstration of the Sperling Partial Report Procedure can be found here.
There are a few things in this version that differ from the original procedure and make it a little hard to interpret the results, but it will give you a feel for the task.
Memory Span
Several memory span tasks can be found by nagivating to this page and then clicking on the “Item Span” tab.
In class we’ll focus on Forward Digit Span (you can try the visual or auditory version). We’ll also briefly talk about the Corsi Block Task.
A few things to note:
- After you get two right in a row, you will have the option to increase the length of the sequence that you need to remember. You need to do this manually by clicking the up arrow next to ‘total length’ once it becomes available.
- Try to notice if some sequences are easier than others. What do you think makes those sequences easier?
- What types of strategies are you using to remember the sequences?
N-back
A classic n-back task can be found by navigating to this page and then clicking on the “Memory” tab and selecting Working memory test (n-back). Start with a 2-back, and you can make it harder by increasing to 3-back, 4-back, etc.
If anyone is feeling really brave, you can try a version of the Jaeggi working memory training task that we’ll discuss in class by choosing Jaeggi-Buschkuehl dual n-back task.
Memory Retrieval
Signal Detection Theory
A web app developed by a PhD candidate in our department, Eshed Margalit, to get a better intuition about signal detection theory.
To apply this tool to the context of recognition memory, check out how d-prime changes as you move the signal present (i.e., “OLD”) mean further from the signal absent (i.e., “NEW”) mean!
Then, look at how your hit and false alarm rates change when you move the criterion around.
The app can be found here.