Developmental change in working memory strategies: from passive maintenance to active refreshing

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Development
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Working memory performance improves in childhood, but theories differ on whether strategy changes drive this development.
• Some models emphasize active maintenance strategies, while others focus on cognitive load and maintenance duration.
• Existing theories present conflicting explanations for working memory improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distinct factors influencing working memory recall performance at different developmental stages in children.
• To reconcile differing theoretical accounts of working memory development by examining strategy use, cognitive load, and maintenance duration.
• To determine whether children's working memory development is linked to strategy shifts or task demands.

Main Methods:

• Orthogonally varied cognitive load and maintenance duration in a working memory task.
• Assessed recall performance across different age groups, specifically focusing on 6- and 7-year-olds.
• Analyzed the unique contributions of maintenance duration and cognitive load to recall performance at each age.

Main Results:

• Recall performance was uniquely affected by different factors at different ages.
• At age 6, the duration of maintenance significantly impacted recall.
• At age 7, cognitive load emerged as the primary factor influencing recall.

Conclusions:

• Younger children (age 6) may employ passive maintenance, leading to memory decay during concurrent tasks.
• Around age 7, children appear to develop cognitive monitoring, enabling a shift to active memory trace refreshing.
• This developmental shift unifies passive and active maintenance accounts, suggesting working memory development occurs in distinct stages.