An n-back task using vibrotactile stimulation with comparison to an auditory analogue

We report a vibrotactile version of the common n -back task used to study working memory. Subjects wore vibrotactile stimulators on three fingers of one hand, and they responded by pressing a button with the other hand whenever the current finger matched the one stimulated n items back. Experiment 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavior research methods 2008-02, Vol.40 (1), p.367-372
Main Authors: Klatzky, Roberta L., Giudice, Nicholas A., Marston, James R., Tietz, Jerome, Golledge, Reginald G., Loomis, Jack M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Adult
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive Psychology
Female
Fingers - physiology
Humans
Male
Memory
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Physical Stimulation
Psychology
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Touch - physiology
Vibration
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Summary:We report a vibrotactile version of the common n -back task used to study working memory. Subjects wore vibrotactile stimulators on three fingers of one hand, and they responded by pressing a button with the other hand whenever the current finger matched the one stimulated n items back. Experiment 1 showed a steep decline in performance as n increased from 1 to 3; each additional level of n decreased performance by 1.5 d′ units on average. Experiment 2 supported a central capacity locus for the vibrotactile task by showing that it correlated strongly with an auditory analogue; both tasks were also related to standard digit span. The vibrotactile version of n -back may be particularly useful in dual-task contexts. It allows the assessment of cognitive capacity in sensory-impaired populations in which touch remains intact, and it may find use in brain-imaging studies in which vibrotactile stimuli impose a memory load.
ISSN:1554-351X
1554-3528
DOI:10.3758/BRM.40.1.367