Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS)
Delayed Matching to Sample assesses both simultaneous visual matching ability and short-term visual recognition memory, for non-verbalisable patterns.
Administration time
7 minutes
Task format
The participant is shown a complex visual pattern, that is both abstract and non-verbal (the sample), followed by four similar patterns, after a brief delay. The participant must select the pattern which exactly matches the sample. In some trials the sample and the choice patterns are shown simultaneously, in others there is a delay (of 0, 4 or 12 seconds) before the four choices appear.
Outcome measures
Outcome measures include latency (the participant's speed of response), the number of correct patterns selected and a statistical measure giving the probability of an error after a correct or incorrect response.
Normative data
Please contact us to discuss your normative data requirements. Please note, we do not recommend using normative data in place of a control group.
When to use this test
We would recommend using this test to assess cognitive function in:
