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The reliability and stability of the Turner and Engle working memory task
1Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695, USA. kitty_klein@ncsu.edu
Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers : a Journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc
|September 30, 1999
Summary
This study found the operation span task to be a reliable measure of working memory capacity. Its psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability, suggest it is a statistically advantageous tool for assessing individual differences.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Working memory capacity is crucial for complex cognitive tasks.
- Individual differences in working memory capacity are widely studied.
- The operation span task is a common measure in this field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of the operation span task.
- To determine the reliability and stability of the operation span task.
- To compare its statistical advantages against other working memory measures.
Main Methods:
- Administered the operation span task three times to 33 college students.
- Used equivalent test materials across administrations.
- Varied the intervals between test administrations (3 weeks and 6-7 weeks).
Main Results:
- Alpha coefficients were consistently .75 or higher.
- Recall accuracy decreased with increasing operation set size.
- Test-retest correlations ranged from .67 to .81, with corrected reliability at .88.
- Stability scores ranged from .76 to .92.
- Performance improved from the first to the second administration.
Conclusions:
- The operation span task demonstrates strong psychometric properties.
- It exhibits high reliability and stability for measuring working memory capacity.
- The task offers statistical advantages for assessing individual differences in cognitive abilities.