PEBL Hub — IRB Fact Sheet — 2026-08-23
Corsi Block Tapping
Category:Memory
Duration:~8 minutes
Parameters:10 configurable parameters available
Version:1.0
Input:Keyboard, Mouse
Description
PEBL Corsi blocks test is a visual-spatial working memory test. Subjects are asked to replicate sequences of clicks onto a set of spatially-arrayed square targets.
Key Parameters
| dopractice | Whether to do a short practice round. Set from 1 to 0 to turn off for multi-session. (default: 1) |
| direction | Direction of recall (forward=1, backward=-1) (default: 1) |
| useCorsiPoints | Whether the block locations are identical to Corsi's (set from 1 to 0 to use random configuration.) (default: 1) |
| useKessels | Whether to use the problems normed by Kessels. Should be used in concert with useCorsiPoint=1 (default: 1) |
| startlength | Starting length to use if usekessels is 0. (default: 2) |
| endlength | End length to use if useKessels is 0. (default: 9) |
| timesperlength | Number of trials per length if useKessels is 0. (default: 2) |
| isi | Inter-stimulus interval in ms. (default: 1000) |
| iti | Time between trials (inter-trial interval) in ms. (default: 1000) |
| usebeep | Should a beep play on each stimulus. Set from 1 to 0 to turn off. (default: 1) |
Scoring & Interpretation
Primary measure: Best span (longest sequence recalled correctly). Calculate from trial-level data by finding the maximum 'length' where 'allcorr'=1.
Mean span: Average sequence length across all trials where allcorr=1.
Score: Total number of correct trials (sum of allcorr column).
Pooled summary data is automatically saved to data/summary/corsi-forward-pooled-sum.csv (or backward) with aggregate statistics.
Mean span: Average sequence length across all trials where allcorr=1.
Score: Total number of correct trials (sum of allcorr column).
Pooled summary data is automatically saved to data/summary/corsi-forward-pooled-sum.csv (or backward) with aggregate statistics.
Example Data Output (5 sample rows)
| subnum | direction | type | trialnum | trialstart | length | stim | resp | numcorr | nummiss | allcorr | time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| timetestmar27 | 1 | P | -1 | 28692 | 3 | 135 | 135 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2624 |
| timetestmar27 | 1 | P | -2 | 36824 | 3 | 248 | 248 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2915 |
| timetestmar27 | 1 | P | -3 | 45244 | 3 | 679 | 679 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4236 |
| timetestmar27 | 1 | T | 1 | 56076 | 2 | 85 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2980 |
| timetestmar27 | 1 | T | 2 | 63561 | 2 | 64 | 64 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2562 |
References
Corsi, P. M. (1972). Human memory and the medial temporal region of the brain. Dissertation Abstracts International, 34, 819B.