Towse, John; Hitch, Graham; Horton, Neil
Charting the trajectory of forgetting: Insights from a working memory period paradigm
Memory & Cognition

Data variables and explanations 

Operationperiodcardorder (original SPSS file (.sav) and comma-separated plain file (.csv))

bas_n	Raw score from British Abilities Scales (Number Skills task)
zbas_n	z-score conversion of the bas_n score
bas_v	Raw score from British Abilities Scales (Word Reading task)
zbas_v	z-score conversion of the bas_v score
bas_comb	Average of the two BAS scores
bas_comp	Composite of the two BAS scores from averaging z-scores
age_mnths	Age of participant in completed completed months
age_grp	Age group defined by school class year group (3 - Year 3; 4 - Year 4; 6 - Year 6)
s1p_len	First period administration (ie session1), recall expressed as the maximum length / level achieved, with partial credit at terminal level
Zs1p_len	z score conversion of the s1p_len variable
s2p_len	Second period administration (ie session 2), recall expressed as the maximum length / level achieved, with partial credit at terminal level
Zs2p_len	z score conversion of the s2p_len variable
comp_pdl	Composite score from the two period administrations measuring period length (ie Zs1p_len and Zs2p_len)
s1per	First period administration: Number of correctly recalled items from correct sequences (thus, scores in multiples of 4)
zs1per	z score conversion of s1per
s2per	Second period administration: Number of correctly recalled items from correct sequences (thus, scores in multiples of 4)
zs2per	z score conversion of s2per
comp_pd	Composite score from the two period administrations (ie zs1per and zs2per)
crd_ord1	Text string describing sequence of cards (S - short; L - long; V - variable) for first period administration
crd_ord2	Text string describing sequence of cards (S - short; L - long; V - variable) for second period administration (mirror image of crd_ord1)
ord_s1	Sequence of cards defined by numeric order group (group 1 - 8) for first period administration
ord_s2	Sequence of cards defined by numeric order group (group 1 - 8) for second period administration (mirror image of ord_s1)
sl_seq	Recoding of ord_s1 to indicate “1” - short first, and “2” long first sequences
s1_lvl1	First period administration, first set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0)
s1_lvl2	First period administration, second set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered
s1_lvl3	First period administration, third set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered
s1_lvl4	First period administration, fourth set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered
s1_lvl5	First period administration, fifth set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered
s1_lvl6	First period administration, sixth set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered
s1_lvl7	First period administration, seventh set of (3) trials, the number of correct sequence recalls (max=3, min=0). Nb. value of “0” even if set is not administered

s2_lvl1 - s2_lvl7	Second period administration, for each set of trials as above, the number of correct sequence recalls

short_co	Number of correct recalls from “short” processing events (combining across period administrations)
long_co	Number of correct recalls from “long” processing events (combining across period administrations)
var1_co	Number of correct recalls from the first presented variable processing events (combining across period administrations)
var2_co	Number of correct recalls from the second presented variable processing events (combining across period administrations)
total_rec	Total number of correct recalls (sum of short_co, long_co, var1_co and var2_co)
pos1_c	total number of correct recalls occurring at position 1 
pos2_c	total number of correct recalls occurring at position 2
pos3_c	total number of correct recalls occurring at position 3
pos4_c	total number of correct recalls occurring at position 4
COE		Card Order Effect, either “1” when “short” events appeared earlier in first period administration, “2” when “long” events appeared earlier in first period administration
varSfirst	The period score when the “short” processing even appeared before the “long” in first period administration, otherwise blank
varLfirst	The period score when the “long” processing even appeared before the “short”in first period administration, otherwise blank
change	The difference between first and second period administration in period score (s1per - s2per)
s_early	The difference between short early and long early sequences (the change score as a function of card sequence) based on s1per and s2per values
s_lcorr	The difference between short early and long early sequences (the change score as a function of card sequence) based on the number of correct recalls
s_l_len	The difference between short early and long early sequences (the change score as a function of card sequence) based on s1p_len and s2p_len variables
s1_CRSP1	First period administration, the proportion of correctly recalled items at serial position 1
s1_CRSP2	First period administration, the proportion of correctly recalled items at serial position 2
s1_CRSP3	First period administration, the proportion of correctly recalled items at serial position 3
s1_CRSP4	First period administration, the proportion of correctly recalled items at serial position 4
s1_RTp1	First period administration, the mean response time to the arithmetic problem, at serial position 1
s1_RTp2	First period administration, the mean response time to the arithmetic problem, at serial position 2
s1_RTp3	First period administration, the mean response time to the arithmetic problem, at serial position 3
s1_RTp4	First period administration, the mean response time to the arithmetic problem, at serial position 4

s2_CRSP1 — s2_CRSP4	Second period administration, as above the proportion of correctly recalled items at serial position 1-4

s2_RTp1 - s2_RTp4	Second period administration, as above the mean response time to the arithmetic problem, at serial position 1-4

comb_RT	Average of the response times to arithmetic problems, combining each period administration and serial position
s1_combRT	First period administration, average of the response times to arithmetic problems
s2_combRT	Second period administration, average of the response times to arithmetic problems


Datacorpus Files

Summary. 
There are 3 master files with raw data, one for each age group (year3, year4, and year6). They have a common structure.
These master files were created in Excel, and have been saved in the close-to-original format (.xlsx). Each worksheet has been deposited as a csv file also.
These master files have several worksheets, and some include macros.
For each master file, “Date of birth” data have been excised for the deposit to preserve anonymity
For the “year4_datacorpus”, age was recorded in months. For the other master files, age is recorded here as year group. (nb. Age in months is a data column in the Operationperiodcardorder file
Nb. For “year3_datacorpus”, for logistical reasons there are no participants “p33”, “p63” and “p64”, hence there are 61 participants contributing to the SPSS file “Operationperiodcardorder”. For the “year4_datacorpus” there is no participant “p16”), hence there are 63 participants contributing to the SPSS file “Operationperiodcardorder”. For “year6_datacorpus”, there are no participants “p18”, “p20” and “p35” and “p64”), hence there are 60 participants contributing to the SPSS file “Operationperiodcardorder”

year3_datacorpus

In the summary worksheet, background information is coded yellow, and details;
Participant number
Gender (M/F - Male / Female)
Date of Birth	
Age	
S1 Structure	Textual description of sequence order for first period administration (session 1)
S2 Structure	Textual description of sequence order for second period administration (session 2)
Date S1		Date of testing for session 1
Date S2		Date of testing for session 1
Numeracy	Y/N - to indicate whether data were available from BAS testing of number skills
Literacy		Y/N - to indicate whether data were available from BAS testing of word reading

Coded blue, “Session 1 - Trials Correct @ Each Level” indicate (from 0 - 3, how many whole trials were recorded correctly)
“Level Reached (Trials Correct)” specifies the level attained by each participant based on the specific progression criterion
Coded light blue, data are then presented for the second period administration (session 2) in the same format

Coded green, ”BAS NUMERACY SCORE” provides a score for each subsection of the number skills scale
Coded dark green, “BAS LITERACY SCORE” provides a score for each subsection of the word reading scale

Coded yellow, “SUMMARY” describes the level achieved for pass thresholds of 1 trial or 2 trials per set.
“Sum (Trials Correct at each level x 4)” describes the number of correct recalls for correct sequences.

In the “DATA s1” worksheet, for each trial or each level, and each serial position, the numerical processing accuracy is described for each participant (1 = Correct, 0 = Incorrect)
Columns AF-AL summarise these data by combining across serial position
Columns AN-AT summarise the preceding data by combining across trial

For columns AR onwards, data report processing time data for the corresponding recall data described above
For columns CD onwards, data are reported for the processing times only when recall is correct

For columns DK onwards, for each trial or each level, and each serial position, the memory recall accuracy is described for each participant (1 = Correct, 0 = Incorrect)

For columns FH onwards, the partial length credit calculations are performed on recall accuracy

For column FW onwards, the serial position recall accuracy and serial position response data data are computed from preceding data

In the “Data s2” worksheet, the same data structure as above is employed for performance on the second period assessment (session 2)