A meta-analysis on the relation between reading and working memory

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Working memory (WM) theories, including domain-specificity, intrinsic cognitive load, and dual process theories, offer frameworks for understanding cognitive functions.
• The precise relationship between reading abilities and working memory capacity remains a key area of investigation in cognitive science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between reading and working memory (WM) within established theoretical frameworks.
• To examine how this relationship is moderated by factors such as reading type, WM domains, and grade level.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, synthesizing data from 197 studies comprising 2026 effect sizes.
• Moderation analyses were employed to explore the influence of various factors on the reading-WM correlation.

Main Results:

• A significant moderate positive correlation (r = .29) was found between reading and WM.
• The strength of the relationship between WM domains and reading varied with grade level, with verbal WM becoming more dominant in later grades.
• The influence of WM on reading comprehension was diminished when decoding and vocabulary skills were statistically controlled.

Conclusions:

• Findings align with aspects of domain-specificity and dual process theories of WM, while introducing a crucial developmental perspective.
• Early reading acquisition relies on the domain-general central executive of WM, whereas verbal WM becomes increasingly important for advanced reading performance.
• The study highlights implications for targeted reading instruction and WM training programs.