Improving digit span assessment of short-term verbal memory
Open accessAbstract
We measured digit span (DS) in two experiments that used computerized presentation of randomized auditory digits with performance-adapted list length adjustment. A new mean span (MS) metric of DS was developed that showed reduced variance, improved test-retest reliability, and higher correlations with the results of other neuropsychological test results when compared to traditional DS measures. The MS metric also enhanced the sensitivity of forward versus backward span comparisons, enabled the development of normative performance criteria with subdigit precision, and elucidated changes in DS performance with age and education level. Computerized stimulus delivery and improved scoring metrics significantly enhance the precision of DS assessments of short-term verbal memory.
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Digit Span Test demonstrated very good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83).
“The test demonstrated very good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83) [19].”
From Enhancing Ecological Validity: Virtual Reality Assessment of Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ADHD (2024) · cites this paper as [19]
The Results: Experiment 1 section assesses digit-span test–retest reliability, and the Conclusions say the computerized measures can improve reliability (page numbers not provided). Neither passage reports Cronbach’s alpha or a value of 0.83, so the specific reliability statistic is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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“…assessment that included four other tests from the California Cognitive Assessment Battery (CCAB): finger tapping (Hubel et al., 2013a,b), CRT in a visual feature conjunction task (Woods et al., 2015), digit span (Woods et al., 2011a,b), and an adaptive Paced Auditory Serial Addition test.”
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“All tasks were administered using paper and pencil except for the digit span test which was administered by computer using the PEBL software package (Mueller and Piper, 2014) in a stepwise fashion as described in Woods et al. (2010).”
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“This approach has been criticized for providing a relatively narrow range of scores (Tarle et al., 2017; Woods et al., 2011), such that score variability comes primarily from the shortest list-lengths because longer list-lengths are not routinely administered (Conway et al.”
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“The test demonstrated very good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83) [19].”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Woods, D. L., Kishiyama, M. M., Yund, E. W., Herron, T. J., Edwards, B., Poliva, O., Hink, R. F., & Reed, B.
- Affiliations
- VA Northern California Health Care System (US)
- Corresponding author
- Woods, David L.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-08-02
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 101-111
- ISSN
- 0165-0475 (ISSN-L)
- 1380-3395
- 1744-411X
- PMC
- PMC2978794
- OpenAlex
- W2025133725
- Cited by
- 380
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 43 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 2.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES014038, R01ES019624, R01ES014038)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- digit span, verbal short-term memory, test-retest reliability, age and education effects
- MeSH terms
- Acoustic Stimulation, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Time Factors, Verbal Learning, Reproducibility of Results, Young Adult
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