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TASK
Wisconsin card sorting test
The participant is presented with stimulus cards with shapes on them. The cards differ in color of the shapes, number of the shapes, and the form of the shapes. The participant is asked to sort these cards into two piles. The participant is not told what stimulus dimension to use in order to sort the cards, but the administrator tells the participant if a particular match is correct. During the test, the sorting rules are changed and the participant must discover the new sorting rule in order to be successful.

Synonyms: WCST


Definition contributed by MLewis about a week ago.


Task records: 7  
conceptual skill
  • Total number of categories acheived
  
executive function
  • Total number of categories acheived
  
set shifting
  • Failure to maintain set
  
  • Total number of categories acheived
  
  • Total number of categories acheived
  
working memory
  • Failure to maintain set
  
task switching
  • Perseverative errors
  

RPoldrack This one turns out to be tricky. What I have done is to code each category of error as a "condition" - even though these are not proper experimental conditions, they are like conditions in that they lead to different measures of performance. The reason I need to do this is that assertions link to contrasts, not to indicators.
about two years ago
RPoldrack I have edited the description to simply describe the task and not to claim that it involves any particular mental function (such as "task switching"). To note that WCST measures task switching, you should create an assertion that links these two concepts, which I have also done.
about two years ago

Revision 4

Definition contributed by RPoldrack about four months ago:
The participant is presented with stimulus cards with shapes on them. The cards differ in color of the shapes, number of the shapes, and the form of the shapes. The participant is asked to sort these cards into two piles. The participant is not told what stimulus dimension to use in order to sort the cards, but the administrator tells the participant if a particular match is correct. During the test, the sorting rules are changed and the participant must discover the new sorting rule in order to be successful.

Revision 3

Definition contributed by RPoldrack about two years ago:
The participant is presented with stimulus cards with shapes on them. The cards differ in color of the shapes, number of the shapes, and the form of the shapes. The participant is asked to sort these cards into two piles. The participant is not told what stimulus dimension to use in order to sort the cards, but the administrator tells the participant if a particular match is correct. During the test, the sorting rules are changed and the participant must discover the new sorting rule in order to be successful.

Revision 2

Definition contributed by DLau about two years ago:
The Wisconsin Card Sorting test measures a person's task-switching ability. The participant is presented with stimulus cards with shapes on them. The cards differ in color of the shapes, quantity of the shapes, and design. The participant is then given an additional set of cards and asked to match each of these with one of the stimulus cards. The participant is not told how to match the cards, but the administrator tells the participant if a particular match is correct. During the test, the rules are changed and the participant must discover the new matching rule in order to be successful.

Revision 1

Definition contributed by SAdministrator about three years ago:
No definition submitted yet

View Term Event Log
Sequential Learning Models for the Wisconsin Card Sort Task: Assessing Processes in Substance Dependent Individuals.
Bishara AJ, Kruschke JK, Stout JC, Bechara A, McCabe DP, Busemeyer JR
Journal of mathematical psychology (J Math Psychol)
2010 Feb 1
Open Abstract | Citation Profile
Regulatory match effects on a modified Wisconsin Card Sort Task.
Maddox WT, Filoteo JV, Glass BD, Markman AB
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS (J Int Neuropsychol Soc)
2010 Mar
Open Abstract | Citation Profile



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