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Psychomotor Ability and Short-term Memory, and Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Children

Cherée Murrihy1, Maria Bailey2, John Roodenburg2

  • 1Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology : the Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists
|April 27, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Short-term memory fully mediates the link between psychomotor ability and academic achievement in children. This highlights the importance of assessing motor skills for learning difficulties.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Previous research suggests short-term memory mediates the relationship between motor coordination and academic achievement in adolescents.
  • The role of short-term memory in this relationship within younger children remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if short-term memory acts as a mediator between psychomotor ability and academic achievement in children aged 8-12.
  • To extend previous findings on this mediation to a younger population.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative cross-sectional study with 133 children (ages 8-12).
  • Assessed psychomotor ability using the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND).
  • Measured short-term memory (Automated Working Memory Assessment - AWMA) and academic achievement (Woodcock-Johnson III) using standardized tests.
  • Structural equation modeling was employed, controlling for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

  • Short-term memory was found to fully mediate the relationship between psychomotor ability and both reading and mathematics achievement.
  • This mediation effect was significant in the studied child population.

Conclusions:

  • Psychomotor ability significantly impacts learning outcomes, underscoring the need for its assessment in identifying learning difficulties.
  • Findings contribute to understanding the developmental neural mechanisms underlying the interplay between motor skills, memory, and academic success.
Abstract

Keywords:
CHC theoryMANDMathematics achievementPsychomotor abilityReading achievementShort-term memory

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