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Related Experiment Videos

Mapping the developmental constraints on working memory span performance.

Donna M Bayliss1, Christopher Jarrold, Alan D Baddeley

  • 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. donna@psy.uwa.edu.au

Developmental Psychology
|August 3, 2005
PubMed
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Developmental gains in complex working memory span in children are linked to both processing speed and storage ability. These cognitive factors interact, influencing higher-level thinking and challenging theories focused solely on processing speed.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Complex working memory span is crucial for higher-level cognition.
  • Understanding developmental trajectories of working memory is essential for educational and clinical applications.
  • Previous models have debated the primary drivers of improvements in complex span.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying constraints of developmental improvements in complex working memory span.
  • To determine the contributions of processing efficiency, storage capacity, rehearsal speed, and basic processing speed to age-related variance in complex span.
  • To challenge existing models of complex span performance.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 120 children aged 6–10 years was studied.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Independent measures assessed processing efficiency, storage capacity, rehearsal speed, and basic processing speed.
  • Statistical analyses examined the contribution of these factors to complex span performance.

    • Main Results:

    • Developmental improvements in complex span were driven by two separable, age-related factors: general processing speed and storage ability.
    • A shared age-related contribution between working memory, processing speed, and storage ability was identified.
    • This shared contribution was found to be important for higher-level cognition.

    Conclusions:

    • Complex working memory span development is influenced by both processing speed and storage ability.
    • These factors are separable but contribute interactively to cognitive development.
    • Findings challenge models that overemphasize processing speed as the sole determinant of complex span improvements.