Chimp Test

In 2007, researchers at Kyoto University trained chimpanzees tae touch numerals on a screen in order. In ae version, the meenit the chimp touched the first numeral, aw the ithers turnt intae plain white squares, sae the lave haed tae be duin frae memory 1. In a harder version, five numerals were shown for juist a wee bittie o a second afore turnin blank. A young chimpanzee cried Ayumu got maist o thir richt, an nane o the humans testit cam near him 1 2.

The story has anither pairt. Anither team pintit oot that Ayumu haed haed a wheen o practice an the humans haed nane. Whan twa fowk practised the same task, their accuracy matched his 2. Sae the task shawes hoo muckle practice matters, as muckle as onything aboot chimps.

It measures short-term memory for whaur things are an in fit order: ye tak in the places o several numbers at ae time, than mind them back withoot seein them. Unlike the study, thare is nae time limit afore yer first tap, an the nummer o squares keeps growin sae lang as ye get rounds richt.

• The first round has 4 numbers. Luik as lang as ye like, than tap 1.
• The ither numbers turn intae blank squares. Tap them in order: 2, 3, 4 an sae on.
• A clean round adds ae nummer. A wrang tap uises up a try, an the round sterts again wi new spots. 3 wrang taps ends the test.
• Yer score is the maist numbers ye got richt in ae round.

Acause practice made sic a difference in the research 2, expeck yer score tae rise ower yer first runs. Maistly, that rise is ye learnin the task. Ance it settles, yer runs tell mair aboot yer memory that day. For a test o a sequence ye see ae step at a time, try the order mindin test.