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Related Experiment Videos

Working memory components that predict word problem solving: Is it merely a function of reading, calculation, and

Wenson Fung1, H Lee Swanson2

  • 1JBS International, 555 Airport Blvd #400, Burlingame, CA, 94010, USA. wfung@jbsinternational.com.

Memory & Cognition
|April 6, 2017
PubMed
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The storage component of working memory (WM) directly impacts children's math word problem-solving. Executive functions of WM are indirectly linked through reading and calculation skills.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) is crucial for complex cognitive tasks.
  • Understanding the specific roles of WM components in children's learning is essential.
  • Previous research suggests varying contributions of WM components to academic skills.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mediating roles of reading, calculation, and fluid intelligence in the relationship between WM components and math word problem-solving accuracy in children.
  • To determine if the central executive, phonological loop, and visual-spatial sketchpad uniquely contribute to math problem-solving.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 413 children aged 6-10.
  • Assessed working memory components (central executive, phonological loop, visual-spatial sketchpad).
Keywords:
Executive processingPhonological processingWorking memory

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the mediating effects of reading, calculation, fluid intelligence, naming speed, and domain-specific knowledge on problem-solving accuracy.

    • Main Results:

    • All WM components initially predicted word problem-solving.
    • Only the storage component of WM showed a significant direct path in the fully mediated model.
    • Fluid intelligence moderated the WM-problem solving link.
    • Reading, calculation, and related skills fully mediated the executive system's influence.

    Conclusions:

    • The storage component of working memory, not the executive component, directly influences children's math word problem-solving.
    • Cognitive skills like reading and calculation are critical mediators for executive functions in problem-solving.
    • Findings highlight the importance of the storage capacity in WM for higher-order cognitive processes in developing minds.