<p>This kind of task is generally used when studying short-term memory. Typically, a subject is presented with some stimuli, followed by a probe item after a varying delay; subjects is then asked to recall (information retrieval) if the probe item was presented before (information encoding). A famous example is <a href="http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/psychology/psy300/sternb.html">Sternberg experiment</a>.</p>

<p>Such tasks can rely on non-verbal material, which makes them good candidates for behavioral studies with animals, but see</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Paule MG, Bushnell PJ, Maurissen JP, Wenger GR, Buccafusco JJ,
  Chelonis JJ, Elliott R. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9761587">Symposium overview: the use of delayed
  matching-to-sample procedures in studies of short-term memory in
  animals and humans</a>. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 1998
  Sep-Oct;20(5):493-502.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Some on-line demonstration can be found on the CANTAB testing battery: <a href="http://www.camcog.com/cantab-tests-delayed-matching-to-sample.asp">Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS)</a>. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-20T21:34:00.700Z
2012-01-20T21:34:00.700Z
chl
<p><a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/84/is-it-possible-to-measure-the-working-memory-of-a-non-human-animal">This question</a> talked about how a "delayed match-to-sample task" can be used to measure an animal's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">working memory</a>. What is a delayed match-to-sample task and how can it be used to measure working memory?</p>

<memory><terminology><methodology>
What is a "delayed match-to-sample task"?
Josh
# What is a "delayed match-to-sample task"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-20)

[This question](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/84/is-it-possible-to-measure-the-working-memory-of-a-non-human-animal) talked about how a "delayed match-to-sample task" can be used to measure an animal's [working memory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory). What is a delayed match-to-sample task and how can it be used to measure working memory?

**Tags:** memory, terminology, methodology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-01-20. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

This kind of task is generally used when studying short-term memory. Typically, a subject is presented with some stimuli, followed by a probe item after a varying delay; subjects is then asked to recall (information retrieval) if the probe item was presented before (information encoding). A famous example is [Sternberg experiment](http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/psychology/psy300/sternb.html).

Such tasks can rely on non-verbal material, which makes them good candidates for behavioral studies with animals, but see

> Paule MG, Bushnell PJ, Maurissen JP, Wenger GR, Buccafusco JJ,
> Chelonis JJ, Elliott R. [Symposium overview: the use of delayed
> matching-to-sample procedures in studies of short-term memory in
> animals and humans](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9761587). Neurotoxicol Teratol. 1998
> Sep-Oct;20(5):493-502.

Some on-line demonstration can be found on the CANTAB testing battery: [Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS)](http://www.camcog.com/cantab-tests-delayed-matching-to-sample.asp).


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