The relationship between short‐term memory and working memory: Complex span made simple?

Abstract

This experiment addresses the question of what makes a working memory measure a good predictor of higher‐level abilities. Verbal and visuospatial processing episodes were interleaved with distinct verbal and visuospatial storage episodes to form four complex span tasks. Although these measures were reliable predictors of reading and mathematics ability in children, they were no more predictive of these abilities than corresponding simple span tasks involving storage alone. However, when individual differences in storage ability and processing capacity were controlled for, residual variance in complex span performance was related to academic ability in some cases. These findings indicate that complex span tasks are multiply determined, and that differences in task structure can dramatically influence the relative importance of these multiple constraints and the predictive power of a complex span measure.

Notes

Correspondence should be addressed to Donna Bayliss, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1TN, UK. Email: [email protected]

This research was supported by a co‐operative group component grant from the United Kingdom Medical Research Council to Chris Jarrold and Alan Baddeley (grant number G0000258, within co‐operative group grant number G9901359). We are grateful to the staff and pupils of Broomhill Junior School, Bristol, for their help and cooperation with this work.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Deborah M. Gunn

Correspondence should be addressed to Donna Bayliss, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1TN, UK. Email: [email protected] This research was supported by a co‐operative group component grant from the United Kingdom Medical Research Council to Chris Jarrold and Alan Baddeley (grant number G0000258, within co‐operative group grant number G9901359). We are grateful to the staff and pupils of Broomhill Junior School, Bristol, for their help and cooperation with this work.