Chimp Test
Numbers appear on the grid. Tap 1, and the rest hide: now tap 2, 3, 4… in order from memory. Each clear round adds a number.
Where the chimp test comes from
In 2007 researchers at Kyoto University showed young chimpanzees numerals scattered on a screen that were masked as soon as the first was touched. A chimp called Ayumu could tap them in order after seeing them for a fraction of a second, and in that very brief version he beat the university students tested against him (Inoue & Matsuzawa, 2007).
Brainbay's Chimp Test is the friendlier version: the numbers stay until your first tap, so it's about holding where they were in mind, not about a split-second glance.
What it tests
It's a test of visual short-term memory: remembering where several things were, and in what order. That draws on working memory, the small mental notepad you use to hold things for a few seconds. Working memory is limited: Miller (1956) famously put it at about seven items, and later work suggests about four meaningful chunks at once (Cowan, 2001), which is why grouping the numbers into little patterns helps.
How far do people get?
There's no published norm for this exact game, so the fairest comparison is with yourself. Most people find the first few rounds easy and then hit a wall somewhere in the high single figures. Your level saves, so next time you start just below your best.
Tips
- Before your first tap, trace the path 1→2→3 with your eyes once.
- Group numbers into shapes: "a line of three, then a corner".
- Go steadily: a slip costs one of your three lives, speed doesn't score.
How to play
- Numbers appear on the grid.
- Tap them in order, starting from 1.
- After your first tap they hide. Each clear round adds one more.
Scoring and levels
You have 3 lives. Each clear round makes the next one harder; a slip costs a life, and the round ends when they've gone. Your level is saved, so next time you start near your best. Every game shows a short demo before you start, and your last ten scores are on the result screen.
In everyday life
Holding where things were for a few seconds is what you do when you glance at a map before turning, remember which shelf you put the keys on, or scan a room for a face you saw a moment ago.
Questions
Can chimpanzees really beat humans at this?
In the 2007 Kyoto study, at the very brief, masked version of the task, the chimp Ayumu outperformed the students tested. In longer versions like this one, people do well.
How many lives do I get?
Three. A wrong number costs one and shows you where they all were; each clear round adds a number.
Does it get harder?
Yes: every clear round adds one more number to remember.
Is it an IQ test?
No. It shows how you do at this memory game, nothing more.
Related
Brain tests
Brain games by topic
Guides
Sources
- Inoue, S. & Matsuzawa, T. (2007). Working memory of numerals in chimpanzees. Current Biology, 17(23). doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.027
- Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two. Psychological Review, 63(2). doi.org/10.1037/h0043158
- Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24(1). doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922
Brainbay is for practice and fun. Your scores show how you do at these games; they don't measure IQ or diagnose anything.