Working memory (capacity) behavioral tasks in online and laboratory settings: data from SymSPAN and OSPAN tasks

The dataset comprises performance measures from adult participants who completed two experimental tasks designed to assess working memory: the Operation Span Task (OSPAN) and the Symmetry Span Task (SymmSpan). Each participant completed these tasks on separate days in both an online (web-based) setting and across two distinct laboratory (offline) sessions. All tasks were administered using Inquisit Web software. Data for the online phase were collected between May 5, 2023, and December 6, 2023, while the laboratory phase took place between February 23, 2024, and June 3, 2024. Initially, a large participant pool was recruited for the online phase through social media (Facebook), university advertisements, and flyers, resulting in a final sample of 566 participants. Based on their performance in the online tasks, a subset of 207 individuals—reflecting a range of working memory capacities—was randomly selected and invited to complete the same tasks during two subsequent laboratory sessions.