Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
Does greater phonological storage capacity correlate with levels of intentionality and theory of mind?
Rachel M Wynn1, Frederick L Coolidge
1Coronado High School, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. twynn@uccs.edu
Abstract:
Greater phonological storage capacity may be associated with levels of intentionality, and therefore by assumption, Theory of Mind. The participants were 34 high school students in the Midwest (15 girls, 19 boys; age range= 15 to 17 years). The measures were digits forward and digits backward from the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and a measure purporting to assess Theory of Mind and Levels of Intentionality (Kinderman, Dunbar, & Bentall, 1998). There was found to be a weak nonsignificant correlation between digits forward and Levels of Intentionality, and a moderate and significant correlation between digits backward and Levels of Intentionality. The latter correlation was significantly larger. The digits backward test requires not only greater phonological storage capacity but also appears to tap working memory resources. Findings suggest that greater phonological storage capacity is associated with higher intentionality, and by implication, perhaps more elaborate Theory of Mind, but only when the phonological task requires working memory functions.
Related Concept Videos
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Storage
Language and Cognition
Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory
Elaborative Rehearsals
The effectiveness of...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
