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Do two separate speech measures constrain verbal short-term memory in children?
C Jarrold1, A K Hewes, A D Baddeley
1Centre for the Study of Memory and Learning, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, England. c.jarrold@bristol.ac.uk
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Speech articulation rates impact verbal short-term memory. Word duration affects time-based forgetting, while pause duration may reflect speech planning in children's memory tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Speech Science
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Verbal short-term memory (VSM) performance is influenced by processing rates.
- Individual differences in speech articulation time and pause duration are implicated in VSM constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if speech sample measures (word duration, pause length) predict VSM performance.
- To explore the relationship between articulation speed and VSM in children.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with children.
- Participants rapidly articulated word pairs.
- Speech duration (words) and inter-word pauses were measured from recordings.
Main Results:
- Both spoken word duration and pause length significantly predicted VSM performance.
- Shorter word durations correlated with better VSM.
- Longer pauses correlated with poorer VSM.
Conclusions:
- Word duration may relate to VSM via time-based forgetting mechanisms.
- Pause duration in speeded articulation could indicate individual differences in speech planning.
- Speech production characteristics offer insights into VSM limitations.