Development and validation of an experimental verbal Episodic Memory task in Spanish.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Linguistics

Background:

• Episodic memory, crucial for recalling personal experiences, can decline with age.
• Identifying environmental factors that support memory function is essential for healthy aging.
• Existing memory tasks may not fully capture the complexities of episodic memory in diverse linguistic contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel experimental verbal episodic memory task in Spanish.
• To ensure the task allows for manipulation of processing levels and cognitive effort during encoding.
• To provide a culturally relevant tool for memory research.

Main Methods:

• Designed six encoding blocks (three deep, three superficial) with varying cognitive demands.
• Utilized expert judges for content validation and pilot testing for usability.
• Assessed inter-rater reliability and participant feedback on instructions and workflow.

Main Results:

• Lexical variables effectively differentiated cognitive effort across blocks.
• Expert judges confirmed the task's ability to manipulate processing depth and cognitive effort.
• Pilot participants found instructions, examples, and task procedures clear and easy to follow.

Conclusions:

• The developed Spanish verbal episodic memory task demonstrates content validity.
• This task is a promising tool for research on environmental factors influencing age-related memory changes.
• It offers a viable alternative for investigating memory compensation strategies.