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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Spatial working memory is enhanced in children by differential outcomes.

Laura Esteban¹, Ana B Vivas², Luis J Fuentes³

¹Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain.

Scientific Reports

|November 25, 2015

Summary

The differential outcomes procedure (DOP) improved working memory (WM) performance in children. This method enhanced spatial memory task results, suggesting it can aid academic achievement.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Educational Psychology

Background:

Working memory (WM) is crucial for academic success in children.
Enhancing WM abilities can positively impact school performance.
The differential outcomes procedure (DOP) is a learning technique involving specific rewards for correct stimulus associations.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of the DOP in improving spatial WM performance in typically developing children.
To compare the DOP with a standard non-differential outcomes procedure (NOP).

Main Methods:

An adapted spatial memory task was used to test the DOP.
Participants learned and retained four target locations out of eight possibilities.
Two groups of 5- and 7-year-olds performed a low-attentional task; a separate group of 7-year-olds performed a high-attentional task.

Main Results:

The DOP led to better memory performance in 5-year-olds (low-attentional task) and 7-year-olds (high-attentional task) compared to the NOP.
Performance decrements due to delay intervals were observed with NOP but not with DOP.

Conclusions:

The DOP shows promise as a tool to enhance children's working memory.
This procedure could be a valuable addition to interventions aimed at improving children's academic outcomes.