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The development of working memory: exploring the complementarity of two models.
E Kemps1, S De Rammelaere, T Desmet
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium. Eva.Kemps@rug.ac.be
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|October 6, 2000
Summary
This study explored working memory models in children using the Mr. Peanut and Corsi blocks tasks. Findings show developmental improvements and distinct model contributions to understanding central and peripheral working memory functions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Working memory is crucial for cognitive functions.
- Pascual-Leone and Baddeley proposed influential working memory models.
- Understanding the interplay of these models is key to cognitive development research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the complementarity of Pascual-Leone's and Baddeley's working memory models.
- To examine developmental changes in working memory performance in children.
- To assess the impact of articulatory and spatial suppression on working memory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 5, 6, 8, and 9-year-old children on the Mr. Peanut and Corsi blocks tasks.
- Administered tasks with and without concurrent articulatory or spatial suppression.
- Analyzed performance differences across age groups and suppression conditions.
Main Results:
- Spatial short-term memory showed a developmental increase in all children.
- Spatial suppression impaired performance on both tasks across all ages.
- Articulatory suppression affected recall only on the Mr. Peanut task in older children.
Conclusions:
- Both Pascual-Leone's and Baddeley's models offer unique insights into working memory.
- Pascual-Leone's model explains age-related increases in central working memory.
- Baddeley's model accounts for peripheral phonological and visuo-spatial components of working memory.