What a capacity score describes
Remembering positions in order differs from recognizing previously seen pictures. State what counts as correct: each item, its place, its order or the whole sequence. A task score is not a measurement of the brain’s storage space.
Organization changes the task
A familiar date and an unfamiliar string may contain the same number of digits but invite different strategies. Grouping material into meaningful units can help a particular attempt. Record such strategies when comparing results rather than treating all strings as equivalent.
Use a consistent sequence task
Try spatial span with the same presentation and order rule. Record sequence length alongside the number of successful attempts. On paper, hide a short unfamiliar sequence, reproduce it and check it. Increase length only after you can follow the protocol reliably.
Reproduce a sequence in order
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Your result
Step-by-step worked example
What to prepare
Prepare paper and a timer. The sample has four items; choose ten seconds of viewing for this worked attempt. A correct response preserves the whole original sequence.
Task sample
What to do, step by step
Study the four items for ten seconds without changing the rule or adding symbols.
Close Task sample and write the sequence without looking.
Reveal the sample only after finishing. Check each position and preserve the initial answer.
Use new four-item sequences for later attempts. Record a move to five items as a new length while keeping viewing time unchanged.
How to check your result
The correct sequence is K — 4 — M — 8. All items and their order must match. K — M — 4 — 8 contains the same items but fails the order requirement. Count entirely correct attempts at each length.
Your next attempt
Repeating an already learned sequence is not the same as remembering new sequences. Use fresh material and record length, exposure and successful attempts.
Examples in everyday tasks
Repeat an unfamiliar sequence
View a short sequence such as K–4–M–8, hide it and reproduce the original order. A later series can add one item while keeping exposure time unchanged. Record successful complete attempts at each length, rather than treating one unusually long attempt as the whole result.
Remember occupied cells
Several cells are highlighted on a small grid for a fixed period. After the pattern disappears, mark their positions on an empty grid. Compare correct cells at the same size and delay. Requiring the order in which cells appeared adds another condition and needs a separate comparison.
Keep several instructions available
You need to take a folder, place it in an envelope and give the envelope to a colleague. Repeat the three actions without notes, then check for omissions after completing them. This illustrates retaining an action list, but its result is not directly equivalent to remembering random symbols.
