Word Memory Test
Study a list of words for a few seconds. Then tap every word you saw, mixed in with as many new ones, and press Done.
What it measures
This is a recognition memory test for words. Your score is the words you got right minus any you picked by mistake, so guessing doesn't pay.
Why some words stick
When people learn a list, they tend to remember the first few words (the primacy effect) and the last few (the recency effect) better than the middle: the serial position effect (Murdock, 1962). Spending a little longer on the middle of the list evens it out.
Tips
- Link the words into a silly story or picture.
- Group them: animals, food, things in a kitchen.
- Look at the middle of the list twice.
How to play
- Study the words for a few seconds.
- Then tap every word you saw, mixed in with new ones.
- Wrong picks take a point off, so only tap the ones you know.
Scoring and levels
It's one go. Your score is what you got right, and a good result moves you up a level for next time. Every game shows a short demo before you start, and your last ten scores are on the result screen.
In everyday life
Recognising words you've seen before is what happens when you check a shopping list against the shelves or spot a name you were told earlier. The serial position effect explains why the middle of a long list of instructions is the part people forget.
Questions
Why is it right picks minus wrong picks?
So that tapping everything doesn't win. It rewards real memory.
Does the list get longer?
Yes, from 8 words up to 20 as you improve.
Related
Brain tests
Brain games by topic
Guides
Sources
- Murdock, B. B. (1962). The serial position effect of free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64(5). doi.org/10.1037/h0045106
Brainbay is for practice and fun. Your scores show how you do at these games; they don't measure IQ or diagnose anything.