The Jack and Jill Adaptive Working Memory Task: Construction, Calibration and Validation

Abstract

Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) is essential to human cognitive abilities and is associated with important life outcomes such as academic performance. Recently, a number of reliable measures of VSWM have been developed to help understand psychological processes and for practical use in education. We sought to extend this work using Item Response Theory (IRT) and Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT) frameworks to construct, calibrate and validate a new adaptive, computerised, and open-source VSWM test. We aimed to overcome the limitations of previous instruments and provide researchers with a valid and freely available VSWM measurement tool. The Jack and Jill (JaJ) VSWM task was constructed using explanatory item response modelling of data from a sample of the general adult population (Study 1, N = 244) in the UK and US. Subsequently, a static version of the task was tested for validity and reliability using a sample of adults from the UK and Australia (Study 2, N = 148) and a sample of Russian adolescents (Study 3, N = 263). Finally, the adaptive version of the JaJ task was implemented on the basis of the underlying IRT model and evaluated with another sample of Russian adolescents (Study 4, N = 239). JaJ showed sufficient internal consistency and concurrent validity as indicated by significant and substantial correlations with established measures of working memory, spatial ability, non-verbal intelligence, and academic achievement. The findings suggest that JaJ is an efficient and reliable measure of VSWM from adolescent to adult age.

Learning to play a musical instrument in the middle school is associated with superior audiovisual working memory and fluid intelligence: A cross-sectional behavioral study

“…6 The test length on the LongGold project was set to eight trials. In the present study, the participants completed a total of 7 trials for the JAJ since in the original study the authors found that reliability and validity for this test are acceptable after 7 or 8 trials (5–6 mins), with diminishing gains from more trials ( Tsigeman et al, 2022 ).…”

“…To administer the tests, we employed the psychTestR online testing framework ( Harrison, 2020 ). Several adaptive ability tests have been developed in this framework, including the melody discrimination test (MDT; Harrison et al, 2017 ), the beat perception test (BAT; Harrison and Müllensiefen, 2018 ), the mistuning perception test (MPT; Larrouy-Maestri et al, 2019 ), the visuospatial WM test (JAJ; Tsigeman et al, 2022 ), and the rhythmic ability test (RAT; MacGregor et al, 2022 ). In this study we used a selection of tests and questionnaires as follows, summarized also in Table 1 .…”

“…The Jack&Jill WM test (JAJ) measures visuo-spatial WM capacity employing a dual task paradigm ( Tsigeman et al, 2022 ). The task is adaptive and based on an explanatory item response theory (IRT) model.…”

“…The Jack and Jill WM test is aimed specifically to measure the component of the visuo-spatial sketchpad in WM. It demonstrated strong correlations with other well-known tests of WM (Backward Digit Span, Memory Updating Figural, Corsi Block-tapping test), spatial tasks (Paper Folding, Shape Rotation, Mechanical Reasoning, Pattern Assembly), and a non-verbal intelligence test (Raven’s Progressive Matrices) ( Tsigeman et al, 2022 ). This correlation is important as these tests are among the most used so far in the studies of WM and music ( Talamini et al, 2017 ; Lorenzen and Brattico, 2020 ).…”

Handedness and musicality in secondary school students

“…This assesses fluid intelligence, non-verbal reasoning and problem solving through asking subjects to complete visual puzzles similar in style to Raven's Matrices (Chan & Kosinski, 2015). Additionally, visuo-spatial working memory was measured using a Working Memory Test which required participants to remember the positions of colored balls in the hands of two cartoon characters (Tsigeman et al, 2022).…”