Memory Scan

Memory Scan is built on the Sternberg task, introduced by Saul Sternberg in 1966 — one of the foundational experiments in working memory. You hold a small set of digits in mind, then decide as fast as you can whether a probe digit was in that set. Classic results show response time rises steadily as the set gets larger, evidence that we scan memory item by item.

Cognitive domain: Working Memory

A set of digits flashes briefly — memorize it. It disappears and a single probe digit appears; tap Yes if it was in the set, No if it was not. Get it right and the next set grows by one, pushing your capacity. Answer as many as you can in 45 seconds.

Your score is how many probes you judge correctly in 45 seconds. On the MindSprint scale, around 32 is top-tier. Because the set grows as you succeed, a high score means you stay accurate even as the memory load climbs.

• Rehearse the set quickly as it shows — say the digits to yourself.
• Do not second-guess; your first instinct on the probe is usually right.
• Group the digits into chunks (e.g. pairs) to hold more at once.
• Keep a steady pace — accuracy under load beats frantic guessing.

What is the Sternberg task?

A classic 1966 working-memory paradigm where you decide whether a probe was in a memorized set.

What does it measure?

Short-term working memory and the speed of scanning items held in mind.

Why do bigger sets feel slower?

Response time rises with set size — the classic Sternberg finding that we search memory serially.