Figure 1.

Schematic of a single trail of a generic complex span task with example itmes. The presentation of each processing component (e.g., solving mathematical equations) is followed by to-be-remembered element (e.g., a letter). At the end of each trail, that usually consists of 2–6 elements (in this case 2), participants are asked to recall the elements presented in the correct serial position. Performance is estimated based on the total number of elements correctly recalled.