Immediate Digit Span:
Definition:
Immediate Digit Span refers to a cognitive task commonly used in psychology and neuropsychology to assess a person’s short-term memory or working memory capacity. It measures an individual’s ability to recall and repeat a sequence of digits, presented in a specific order, immediately after hearing or seeing them.

Task Description:
During an Immediate Digit Span task, the participant listens to a series of digits, typically spoken by an experimenter, or views them on a computer screen. The digits are presented one at a time, at a consistent pace, and the participant’s task is to accurately repeat back the sequence of digits in the exact order they were presented.

Scoring:
The performance on the Immediate Digit Span task is typically measured by the maximum number of digits a person can correctly recall in a given sequence length. For example, if a participant can accurately repeat back a series of six digits but struggles with a series of seven digits, their Immediate Digit Span would be scored as six.

Significance:
Immediate Digit Span is a valuable tool for assessing an individual’s working memory capacity, which is crucial for various cognitive processes such as comprehension, problem-solving, and learning. It provides insight into a person’s ability to temporarily store and manipulate information in the absence of external cues or prompts.

Limitations:
While Immediate Digit Span is widely used and has proven to be useful in assessing working memory capacity, it is important to note that it primarily measures auditory-verbal immediate memory. Other components of working memory, such as visuospatial or executive functions, may not be fully captured by this task alone. Additionally, performance on Immediate Digit Span can be influenced by factors like attention, concentration, and individual differences in cognitive abilities.