Boost Your Working Memory: Understanding and Improving Digit Span

Digit span refers to a person's working memory and attention and is one of the tests used to determine IQ. Working memory is the ability to quickly learn new information, while attention plays a role in helping someone encode that information. According to psychologist David Wechsler, the creator of the widely used Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, digit span is part of working memory. The same kinds of challenges used to test digit span can be replicated at home to help improve your digit span score and improve your focus at work or school.

Things You'll Need

• Deck of cards
• CD of music with lyrics
• CD of acoustic classical music
• Graph paper

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Instructions

• 1

  Shuffle a deck of cards and then randomly remove two at a time and note the number and suit, increasing the number each time. Then turn the cards face down and record your recall of the cards, number and suit. Use your graph paper to record results.

• 2

  Repeat the card challenge while listening to some music with lyrics. Record the digit and suit span you are able to achieve while the music is playing. Organize your graph paper so that you can easily compare your abilities in silence to your skills while the music is playing.

• 3

  Repeat your digit-span exercise, but this time play acoustic classical music. Compare your abilities without music, with music and lyrics, and with acoustic music, as this will alert you to the strengths and weaknesses in your digit span. If you notice that music hurt your score, practice again to strengthen your divided attention for what is called verbal auditory perception and working memory.