Learn about the patented, trademarked gold standard Wisconsin Card Sorting Test through our WCST Fact Sheet.
This test was invented at UW–Madison and is used worldwide for both human and animal cognitive testing, including with our rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) right here at the Primate Center.
You can try a version of the WCST yourself here. We can’t tell the monkeys what to do so we won’t tell you how to play the game either. Be patient and see if you can figure it out.
You can also try out the game using an app either on your Android or iPhone. The Android app is called “Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) Variant” and is similar to versions we have used to test brain function in our monkeys. Look for the app with the four green stars on a light purple square. Unlike the Brainturk version, The Android app gives you both an audio cue and a visual cue to indicate a correct or incorrect answer.
The iPhone app is called “W Card Sorting Test” and has a turquoise background. ” The iPhone version, however, gives away the answers in the “Sort by” header at the top, so you might want to cover the header with your thumb while you play the game.
Questions for discussion:
- Was the game difficult or easy?
- Are you surprised that rhesus macaques can figure out the game?
- How do think discovering that rhesus monkeys have the ability to play the WCST changed both research and animal care for these monkeys in captivity?
- The monkeys don’t use smart phones. If they did, they would likely throw them around, chew on them and destroy them. So the monkeys are instead placed in a special test cage with the game on a large screen. Every time they touch the correct object, a treat pellet drops into a tray below, just like a vending machine. They also start with simpler versions than what people get, and then they work their way up to more complicated choices. Do you think the monkeys would play the game if they didn’t get a food reward? Why or why not?
- Look up the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test on the web and see what else you can learn about how it is used in humans and animals.
Questions? Need help or further discussion? Please contact us.