Figure 1.

Schematic representations of the six verbal span tasks. The three left panels show the simple working memory tasks requiring storage of digits, letters, and words. The three right panels show the corresponding complex working memory tasks requiring storage of digits, letters, and words, but also require processing irrelevant verbal information interleaved between the presentations of each primary memory item. The actual sentences in the Reading Span task were 7 to 10 words; simplified versions are shown here for purposes of illustration. Also note that the participant stated each memory item aloud as it appeared on the screen in both the simple and complex versions of the task.