ConductCognition

Working Memory

1-Back Task

Measure continuous working-memory maintenance with a low-load n-back task that fits remote participant workflows.

Useful for baseline working-memory studies, sustained monitoring, and lower-load memory batteries.

Working Memory3-4 minHosted browser workflow
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What this task measures

Measures working memory by requiring participants to indicate whether the current stimulus matches the one presented N items ago.

Core constructs

  • Working memory maintenance
  • Continuous performance monitoring
  • Memory updating
  • Sustained attention

Research fit

  • Working memory baseline assessment
  • Sustained attention monitoring
  • Cognitive load sensitivity profiling
  • Neurodevelopmental disorder screening

Why researchers use ConductCognition

  • Hosted browser delivery with no local install burden for participants.
  • Study setup, scoring, exports, and participant links in one workflow.
  • Transparent pricing instead of opaque enterprise quoting for solo labs.
  • Free entry tier plus Academic Pro when you need the full battery and raw exports.

Paradigm overview

The 1-Back task is a continuous working memory paradigm. Participants view a sequence of letters presented one at a time and must press the spacebar whenever the current letter matches the letter shown one position back. Non-matching letters require no response.

The task requires participants to continuously maintain the most recent stimulus in working memory, compare it with the incoming stimulus, make a match/non-match decision, and update their memory with the new stimulus. This maintenance-and-updating cycle engages the phonological loop component of Baddeley's working memory model.

Performance is analyzed using signal detection theory: d-prime separates the participant's ability to discriminate targets from non-targets, independent of their overall tendency to respond. The 1-Back provides a lower-demand baseline against which the 2-Back can be compared to isolate the cost of increased working memory load.

Key scoring outputs

Overall Accuracy

proportion

Proportion of all trials (targets + non-targets) correctly classified.

Higher is better

Hits

count

Number of targets correctly identified (pressed spacebar on match).

Higher is better

Misses

count

Number of targets missed (failed to press on match).

Lower is better

False Alarms

count

Responses to non-target stimuli (pressed spacebar on non-match).

Lower is better

Correct Rejections

count

Non-target stimuli correctly ignored.

Higher is better

d-Prime

d'

Signal detection sensitivity: Z(hit rate) - Z(false alarm rate). Primary measure of working memory discriminability.

Higher is better

Hit RT

ms

Average reaction time on correct target detections.

Lower is better

Normative and citation context

Bopp KL, Verhaeghen P (2020). Aging and n-back performance: A meta-analysis. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 75(2):229-240.

Exploratory norms18-79

Meta-analytic aggregate. No single large-sample normative study exists for computerized n-back. Values are consensus estimates.

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Related task pages

2-Back TaskDigit Span Test