Digit Span
View digit sequences, then enter them in the same order, in reverse order, or sorted from smallest to largest. The three conditions separate maintenance from added manipulation demands.
Working memory
Hold, update, and work with information
Working memory keeps a limited amount of task-relevant information accessible while you use it. Different tasks emphasize storage, manipulation, updating, or resistance to interference, so no single score captures the whole construct.
4 browser tasksAbout 27 minutes togetherNot a diagnosis
One sequence, different demands
MaintainKeep the sequence available
TransformReverse or reorder it
UpdateReplace what matters now
The construct
Working memory is a family of related processes
Researchers use working memory to describe systems that keep information available for ongoing thought and action. Some theories separate temporary storage from manipulation; others emphasize attention, updating, bindings, or resistance to interference. That is why task choice matters.
A forward span task mainly asks you to maintain a sequence. Reversing or sorting that sequence adds manipulation. N-Back continually updates what is relevant. Operation Span combines remembering with a second task. These performances may relate, but they are not interchangeable.
Interpret one task as one sample. Research comparing working memory paradigms finds both shared variance and task-specific variance. A broader view uses more than one well-chosen task and keeps the testing context visible.
Four ways to sample it
01 · VERBAL / NUMERICAL SPAN
02 · VISUOSPATIAL SPAN
03 · CONTINUOUS UPDATING
04 · COMPLEX SPAN
Choose the task that matches the question
Each Neuropsych task runs in the browser and records a different performance pattern. Read the explainer first when one is available, or open the task runner directly.
Corsi Block-Tapping
Watch a spatial sequence across blocks and reproduce it. Performance draws on visuospatial retention as well as visual, motor, and input demands.
N-Back
Decide whether each item matches one shown one, two, or three positions earlier. The task combines updating, monitoring, sustained attention, and timed response.
Operation Span
Remember letters while judging equations. This dual-task format adds processing and interference to the demand of keeping items available.
Reading the result
What these tasks can and cannot show
They can record
- Accuracy, span length, or response patterns from this attempt.
- Differences between task demands within the same session.
- A result you may choose to discuss with a qualified professional.
They cannot establish
- A diagnosis, cause, or explanation for everyday difficulty.
- Your full working memory capacity from one browser task.
- Equivalence to an individually administered clinical instrument.
Context changes performance. Sleep, stress, distraction, motivation, language, sensory access, strategy, medication, and the device or input method can all matter. If conditions were poor, treat the result as a record of that session, not a stable label.
Evidence
Primary and peer-reviewed sources
- Cowan et al. (2018): Theories of Working Memory, including differences in definitions and task demands.
- Wilhelm et al. (2013): What is working memory capacity, and how can we measure it?
- Schmiedek et al. (2014): Putting working memory tasks in psychometric context, on shared and task-specific variance.
- Redick et al. (2018): Why Is Working Memory Performance Unstable?
Start with a task you understand
Digit Span is a practical first sample. Review its three conditions and limitations before opening the runner.