Counting Span Task (for offline use)

This repository provides a Counting Span Task implemented with the jsPsych library. The task is a behavioral assessment used to measure working memory capacity by requiring participants to perform a simultaneous processing and storage task.

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🧠 Task Structure and Procedure

The task requires participants to process visual information (counting) while maintaining the results in memory for later recall.

• Stimuli: Images containing blue circles, blue squares, and yellow circles appear on the screen.
• Counting Phase: Participants are instructed to count the blue circles aloud.
• Memorization: After counting an image, the participant must memorize the result before the next image in the set appears.
• Recall Phase: After a set of images is presented, the participant must recall all memorized numbers in the correct order.
• Progression: The task begins with sets of 2 images, increasing by one image in each subsequent set, up to a maximum of 6.
• Scoring Logic:
  • If the recall is correct, the researcher presses SPACE to proceed to the next set level.
  • If the recall is incorrect, a new run must be started by pressing S.
  • The score for a run is the length of the last correctly recalled set.
  • The final Counting Span is the arithmetic mean of three separate runs.

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📊 Output File Data

Upon completion, data is automatically downloaded in .csv format. The file includes the following key variables:

Variable	Description
success	Indicates if fullscreen mode successfully started/ended.
rt	Reaction time for the specific trial in ms.
run	Current run number (0 for practice, 1–3 for main runs).
level	The number of images presented in the current set.
trial_within_level	The index of the current image within the set.
correct	Accuracy of the response (1 = correct, 0 = incorrect).
run[1-3]_last_correct	The level of the last correct set for each specific run.
counting_span	The final result (mean of the three runs).

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⚙️ Settings and Requirements

• Language Support: The language can be modified in parameters.js. Currently available: English (en) and Hungarian (hu).
• Deployment: Can be run via index.html in either the offline or online folder.
• Browser Compatibility: Compatible with most modern browsers (Chrome recommended). Safari and Internet Explorer are not supported.

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📝 Citation

If you use this script in your research, please include the following citation: Vékony, T. (2022). Counting Span Task created with jsPsych. [Computer software].