title: Measuring working memory is all fun and games: a four-dimensional spatial game predicts cognitive task performance.
abstract: We developed a novel four-dimensional spatial task called Shapebuilder and used it to predict performance on a wide variety of cognitive tasks. In six experiments, we illustrate that Shapebuilder: (1) Loads on a common factor with complex working memory (WM) span tasks and that it predicts performance on quantitative reasoning tasks and Ravens Progressive Matrices (Experiment 1), (2) Correlates well with traditional complex WM span tasks (Experiment 2), predicts performance on the conditional go/no go task (Experiment 3) and N-back (Experiment 4), and showed weak or nonsignificant correlations with the Attention Networks Task (Experiment 5), and task switching (Experiment 6). Shapebuilder shows that it exhibits minimal skew and kurtosis, and shows good reliability. We argue that Shapebuilder has many advantages over existing measures of WM, including the fact that it is largely language independent, is not prone to ceiling effects, and take less than 6 min to complete on average.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Sharona M
authors: SM
authors: Atkins
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Amber M
authors: AM
authors: Sprenger
authors: Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Gregory J H
authors: GJ
authors: Colflesh
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Timothy L
authors: TL
authors: Briner
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Jacob B
authors: JB
authors: Buchanan
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Sydnee E
authors: SE
authors: Chavis
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Sy-Yu
authors: SY
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Gregory L
authors: GL
authors: Iannuzzi
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Vadim
authors: V
authors: Kashtelyan
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Eamon
authors: E
authors: Dowling
authors: Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: J Isaiah
authors: JI
authors: Harbison
authors: Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Donald J
authors: DJ
authors: Bolger
authors: Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Michael F
authors: MF
authors: Bunting
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, <location>College Park, MD, USA</location>
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Dougherty
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057190:Stroop Test; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: N-back; capacity; cognitive ability; go/no-go; working memory