The relationship between working memory for serial order and numerical development: A longitudinal study.

**The uploaded manuscript is still in preparation** In this study, we tested the relationship between visual arrays tasks and working memory capacity and attention control. Specifically, we tested whether task design (selection or non-selection demands) impacted the relationship between visual arrays measures and constructs of working memory capacity and attention control. Using analyses from 4 independent data sets we showed that the degree to which visual arrays measures rely on selection influences the degree to which they reflect domain-general attention control.

Download Full-text

Task Monitoring and Working Memory as Executive Components Predictive of General and Specific Academic Achievements in 6–9-Year-Old Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136681 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6681

Author(s):

Alberto Quílez-Robres ◽

Nieves Moyano ◽

Alejandra Cortés-Pascual

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

Working Memory ◽

Academic Performance ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Language Arts ◽

Memory Task ◽

Academic Achievements ◽

Predictive Role ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Relationship

Academic achievement has been linked to executive functions. However, it is necessary to clarify the different predictive role that executive functions have on general and specific academic achievement and to determine the most predictive executive factor of this academic achievement. The relationship and predictive role between executive functions and their components (initiative, working memory, task monitoring, organization of materials, flexibility, emotional control, inhibition, self-monitoring) with academic achievement are analyzed in this study, both globally and specifically in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics, in 133 students from 6 to 9 years of age. The relationship obtained in Pearson’s correlation analysis does not differ substantially between overall achievement (r = 0.392) and specific achievement (r = 0.361, r = 0.361), but task monitoring (r = 0.531, r = 0.455, r = 0.446) and working memory (r = 0.512, r = 0.475, r = 0.505) had a greater relationship with general and specific achievement. Finally, regression analyses based on correlation results indicate that executive functions predict general academic performance (14.7%) and specific performance (12.3%, 12.2%) for Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively. Furthermore, working memory and task supervision represent 32.5% of general academic performance, 25.5% of performance in Language Arts, and 27.1% of performance in Mathematics. In conclusion, this study yielded exploratory data on the possible executive functions (task supervision and working memory) responsible for good general academic achievements and specific academic achievements in Mathematics and Language Arts.

Download Full-text

Individual differences in working memory capacity are unrelated to the magnitudes of retrocue benefits

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86515-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chaoxiong Ye ◽

Qianru Xu ◽

Xinyang Liu ◽

Piia Astikainen ◽

Yongjie Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Significant Positive Correlation ◽

Working Memory Capacity ◽

Memory Capacity ◽

Capacity Measurement ◽

Object Based ◽

Feature Dimension ◽

The Relationship ◽

Internal Attention

AbstractPrevious studies have associated visual working memory (VWM) capacity with the use of internal attention. Retrocues, which direct internal attention to a particular object or feature dimension, can improve VWM performance (i.e., retrocue benefit, RCB). However, so far, no study has investigated the relationship between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of RCBs obtained from object-based and dimension-based retrocues. The present study explored individual differences in the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCBs and their relationships with VWM capacity. Participants completed a VWM capacity measurement, an object-based cue task, and a dimension-based cue task. We confirmed that both object- and dimension-based retrocues could improve VWM performance. We also found a significant positive correlation between the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCB indexes, suggesting a partly overlapping mechanism between the use of object- and dimension-based retrocues. However, our results provided no evidence for a correlation between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of the object- or dimension-based RCBs. Although inadequate attention control is usually assumed to be associated with VWM capacity, the results suggest that the internal attention mechanism for using retrocues in VWM retention is independent of VWM capacity.

Download Full-text