Abstract
An automated version of the Digit Symbol Substitution Test is described that employs a relatively inexpensive, commercially available microcomputer to present and score the task. Advantages of the automated DSST include: (1) objective scoring of both speed and accuracy of test performance, (2) printed copies of test scores, (3) convenient administration under standardized test conditions, and (4) the capacity for repeated assessment of an individual’s performance over time. Task performance data for individual subjects following doses of pentobarbital are presented; these data illustrate both the stability of task performance under constant conditions and the within-subjects sensitivity of task performance to experimental manipulations.
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This work was supported by USPHS Research Grants DA-01022 and DA-01943, Research Training Grant DA-07209, Research Scientist Development Award DA-00050, and Biomedical Research Support Grant RR-05556. We thank Larry Chait, Betsy McCaul, and Maxine Stitzer for helpful comments on the manuscript, and David O’Leary for figure preparation. For a taped copy of the program, please send a blank cassette and specify TRS-80 Model I or III.
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McLeod, D.R., Griffiths, R.R., Bigelow, G.E. et al. An automated version of the digit symbol substitution test (DSST). Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation 14, 463–466 (1982). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203313
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203313