The development of mobile technology with substantial computing power (i.e. smart phones) has enabled the adaptation of performance-based cognitive assessments to remote administration and novel intensive longitudinal study designs (e.g. measurement burst designs). While an “ambulatory” cognitive assessment paradigm provides new opportunities to extend current psychological theories, the adaptation of conventional measures to a mobile format conducive to intensive repeated measurement involves balancing measurement precision, administration time, and procedural consistency. Across 3 studies, we developed mobile adaptations of computerized ‘complex span’ tasks to assess working memory capacity (WMC) and examined their validity, reliability, and sufficiency. Study 1 examined the convergent and criterion validity of a single administration of 3 ultra-brief complex span tasks on smart phones in a laboratory setting (ambulatory Operation Span, Symmetry Span, and Rotation Span tasks). Study 2 adapted the ultra-brief tasks to a 4-day measurement burst design where between- and within-person reliability was assessed over 16 repeated administrations (4 assessments/day). Study 3 involved the implementation of a single ultra-brief complex span task into a 7-day measurement burst design field study involving college students (5 assessments/day). Results of these 3 studies suggest that valid and highly reliable estimates of WMC can be obtained via smart phones, in the absence of intensive onboarding/training, in 3-6 minutes of total testing time (2 ultra-brief, mobile administrations). Considerations for future mobile cognitive assessment design and parameterization are discussed.
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