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Adult counting is resource demanding
Valérie Camos1, Pierre Barrouillet
1Université René Descartes -- Paris V, France. valerie.camos@univ-paris5.fr
British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|March 10, 2004
Summary
Counting requires cognitive resources, even in adults. This study shows that memory load increases counting time, demonstrating counting
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Recent studies on counting and working memory have yielded results potentially refuting cognitive resource models for counting.
- This study investigates whether counting demands cognitive resources in adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that counting is a demanding task requiring cognitive resource allocation in adults.
- To examine the impact of concurrent memory load on counting performance and efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Adults counted dot arrays while maintaining 5 items (digits/letters) in working memory.
- Experiment 2: Adults counted using the numeric chain or alphabet while varying memory load (1, 3, or 5 items).
Main Results:
- Concurrent memory load increased counting time but not error rates.
- Counting with the less automatized alphabet chain led to poorer recall, especially with higher memory loads.
- A consistent load effect on counting time was observed across experiments.
Conclusions:
- Counting is a cognitively demanding task that requires attentional resource allocation in adults.
- The findings support cognitive resource models where resources are viewed as attentional capacities.
- Working memory load significantly impacts counting efficiency and performance.