Phonological Short-term Memory and Foreign Language Learning

This study investigated links between short-term memory skills and children's abilities to learn the vocabulary of a foreign language taught in school. Forty-five Greek children who were learning English as a foreign language were assessed on their short-term memory in both languages, and on their knowledge of both native and foreign vocabulary. Knowledge of native and foreign vocabulary shared highly significant associations with the phonological short-term memory measures. However, vocabulary scores in the two languages shared a close relationship that could not be explained exclusively in terms of phonological loop capacity. Implications of these findings for theoretical accounts of how words are learned in the native and foreign language are considered.     

Phonological Short-term Memory and the Learning of Novel Words: The Effect of Phonological Similarity and Item Length

The investigation of a patient with a selective impairment of phonological short-term memory has recently provided evidence that this system may be involved in long-term learning of novel words, for which a pre-existing semantic representation is not available (Baddeley, Papagno, & Vallar, 1988). The present series of experiments in normal subjects explored this hypothesis. We assessed the effects of phonological similarity and item length, which reflect the operation of the phonological short-term store and the rehearsal component of verbal memory, upon paired associate long-term learning of auditorily presented words and non-words. Phonological similarity affected the learning of novel words more than known words (Experiment 1); when a delay was interposed between presentation and recall, the disruptive effect was confined to novel words (Experiment 2). Also word length disrupted the learning of novel words, but not of known words (Experiment 3). These results tie in with neuropsychological evidence to suggest a role for phonological short-term memory in the learning of new words, and they have developmental implications for the study of language acquisition.     

Tactile Short-term Memory Revisited

In spite of a large body of empirical research demonstrating the importance of multisensory integration in cognition, there is still little research about multimodal encoding and maintenance effects in working memory. In this study we investigated multimodal encoding in working memory by means of an immediate serial recall task with different modality and format conditions. In a first non-verbal condition participants were presented with sequences of non-verbal inputs representing familiar (concrete) objects, either in visual, auditory or audio-visual formats. In a second verbal condition participants were presented with written, spoken, or bimodally presented words denoting the same objects represented by pictures or sounds in the non-verbal condition. The effects of articulatory suppression were assessed in both conditions. We found a bimodal superiority effect on memory span with non-verbal material, and a larger span with auditory (or bimodal) versus visual presentation with verbal material, with a significant effect of articulatory suppression in the two conditions.     

The Relationship Between Phonological Memory,Phonological Sensitivity,and Incidental Word Learning

This study investigated the cognitive abilities needed to succeed at incidental word learning, specifically by examining the role of phonological memory and phonological sensitivity in novel word learning by 4-year-olds who were typically developing. Forty 4-year-olds were administered a test of nonword repetition (to investigate phonological memory), rhyming and phoneme alliteration tasks (to investigate phonological sensitivity), and an incidental word learning task (via a computer-based presentation of a cartoon story). A multiple regression analysis revealed that nonword repetition scores did not contribute significantly to incidental word learning. Phonological sensitivity scores were significant predictors of incidental word learning. These findings provide support for a model of lexical acquisition in which phonological knowledge plays an important role.     

汉字语音关联对错误记忆的影响

应用DRM范式, 研究单个汉字语音关联对错误记忆的影响。实验一中, 学习阶段呈现的各字表汉字与未呈现的诱饵字具有相同音节。再认测试发现, 被试对诱饵字产生了明显的错误再认。实验二发现, 当各学习字表内的汉字拥有相同声母或相同韵母时, 被试对相应的两种诱饵字也能产生明显的错误再认, 并且其效应与音节相同时基本一样。这些结果说明, 汉字的语音关联可以诱发错误记忆现象, 但其效应并不随语音相似度的增加而增加。研究提示, 错误记忆可以来源于较低层次的基于知觉的加工; 中文语音网络虽然易于激活, 但激活程度有限。     

Coding Position in Short-term Memory

Many formal models of short-term memory have recently been proposed (e.g. Anderson & Matessa, 1997; Brown, Preece, & Hulme, in press; Burgess & Hitch, 1992; Henson, 1998; Lee & Estes, 1981; Lewandowsky & Murdock, 1989; Murdock, 1995; Nairne, Neath, Serra, & Byun, 1997; Neath, 1993; Page & Norris, 1998). An important issue addressed by these models is the problem of serial order: that is, how people store and retrieve a novel sequence of items in the appropriate order. A popular solution to this problem is to assume that each item is coded for its position within a sequence. The present article discusses three different means of coding position. It is argued that the pattern of errors people make when they misrecall a sequence supports the hypothesis that position is coded relative to the start and the end of a sequence. Other evidence, however, suggests that positional coding is also sensitive to temporal factors. A new model is described that reconciles these two strands of evidence.     

Short-term Memory in Time Interval Production

This article summarizes results from several studies on the effect of nontemporal processing on concurrent time estimation. These studies use an experimental paradigm that was developed to interpolate various nontemporal tasks in time interval production. Produced intervals were specifically lengthened by increasing the amount of short-term memory processing performed in a concurrent search task. The interference was shown with many short-term memory tasks, using various durations and methods in the temporal task. The effect on temporal production seems to be positively related to the level of difficulty of the short-term memory task. Finally, processing item or order information affects simultaneous time production, whereas its maintenance has no effect. An interference analysis of these phenomena suggests that interruption in time estimation is caused by both temporal and nontemporal tasks simultaneously requiring processing in short-term memory.     

Comparing Short-term Memory and Memory for Rapidly Presented Visual Stimuli

What similarities and differences are there between memory for short lists shown at one item per second and memory for such lists after rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) at much higher rates—eight items per second? This paper reports that, when pictures are shown at eight per second or one per second, phonological similarity of the picture names reduces recall at the one item per second rate, but not at the eight item per second rate. In contrast, when subjects are shown the written names of the pictures, phonological similarity reduces recall at both rates. It is concluded that phonological coding does not occur for picture lists shown at high rates. The mechanisms underlying memory for pictures and words shown at RSVP and short-term memory rates are considered.     

Understanding Phonological Memory Deficits in Boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Dissociation of Short-term Storage and Articulatory Rehearsal Processes

The current study dissociated and examined the two primary components of the phonological working memory subsystem--the short-term store and articulatory rehearsal mechanism--in boys with ADHD (n?=?18) relative to typically developing boys (n?=?15). Word lists of increasing length (2, 4, and 6 words per trial) were presented to and recalled by children following a brief (3 s) interval to assess their phonological short-term storage capacity. Children's ability to utilize the articulatory rehearsal mechanism to actively maintain information in the phonological short-term store was assessed using word lists at their established memory span but with extended rehearsal times (12 s and 21 s delays). Results indicate that both phonological shortterm storage capacity and articulatory rehearsal are impaired or underdeveloped to a significant extent in boys with ADHD relative to typically developing boys, even after controlling for age, SES, IQ, and reading speed. Larger magnitude deficits, however, were apparent in short-term storage capacity (ES?=?1.15 to 1.98) relative to articulatory rehearsal (ES?=?0.47 to 1.02). These findings are consistent with previous reports of deficient phonological short-term memory in boys with ADHD, and suggest that future attempts to develop remedial cognitive interventions for children with ADHD will need to include active components that require children to hold increasingly more information over longer time intervals.     

Phonological Working Memory and Spoken Language Development in Young Children

This study investigated the relationship between phonological working memory and spoken language development in a large unselected sample of 4- and 5-year old children. Assessments were made of the language produced by the children on the Bus Story (Renfrew, 1969), a standard test of continuous speech. In this test, children listen to a story, which they then recount with the aid of visual clues. The amount of information recalled and the average length of the five longest utterances are taken as indices of children's expressive language abilities. Phonological working memory skills were indexed by memory span and the ability to repeat non-words. The ability to repeat non-words made a significant contribution to the variance in the children's speech independently of age, vocabulary knowledge, and nonverbal cognitive skills. The possible mechanisms by which skills assessed by phonological memory tasks may be linked to the development of speech production abilities are considered.     

工作记忆中的语音回路对汉语阅读理解的影响

语音回路是工作记忆中一个重要的组成部分,主要负责加工和存储语音信息。采用混合实验设计,以正确数和反应时 为指标,汉语语篇为阅读材料,探讨工作记忆中的语音回路对汉语阅读理解的影响。本研究包括两个实验,实验一采用发音抑制的范式,结合错误干扰考察了语音回路中的发音复述装置对汉语阅读理解的影响;实验二采用无关言语的范式,结合错误干扰考察了语音回路中的语音存储装置对汉语阅读理解的影响。结果表明：(1)通过发音抑制和无关言语的方法证明,语音回路中的发音复述装置和语音存储装置在汉语阅读理解中起着重要作用。(2) 字音和字形都影响汉语的阅读理解,但字形比字音起着更大的作用,而且它们的作用机制也不相同,字音直接进入语音存储装置,而字形要经过字音的转换进入语音存储装置。(3) 词频与语音回路有密切关系,语音回路中的发音复述装置的作用在高频词上有明显的表现。(4) 词频与字形、字音也有密切关系,在低频词的条件下,字形的作用大于字音的作用     

工作记忆能力与自我调控

自我调控泛指目标-导向行为, 是自我的核心功能之一。最近十几年有研究者将工作记忆能力(working memory capacity, WMC)的概念引入到对自我调控的研究中, 结果发现, 自我调控与WMC依赖的是共同的资源, WMC在注意调控、思维抑制、情绪调节以及冲动抑制等自我调控过程中发挥了重要作用。未来的研究应加强社会、认知和神经科学等不同学科之间的合作, 进一步探究自我调控的核心机制。     

Demographic and intellectual correlates of the Short-term Memory Test.

This study examined the effect of demographic variables and intellectual factors on the Short-term Memory Test. Subjects were 20 patients neurologically diagnosed as brain-damaged. There was only one significant correlation between Verbal IQ and the Short-term Memory Test. Demographic variables of age, education, and sex did not correlate significantly with scores of the Short-term Memory Test.     

工作记忆中的语音回路与阅读理解的关系

语音回路是Baddeley和Hitch在1974年提出的工作记忆模型中的一个成分。由于语音回路本身的特点,人们联想到它可能和阅读理解这种复杂的认知活动有关系。为此,一些研究者从不同的角度,采用各种研究范式对这一问题进行了探讨。到目前为止,已有的大部分研究都支持语音回路对于阅读理解有作用,但也有少数研究不支持该观点。另外,对于语音回路影响阅读理解的机制问题,也存在着不一致的观点。     

面向21世纪高师公共心理学教材——简评教育部规划教材《心理学新论》

李铮、姚本先主编的教育部规划的“面向21世纪课程教材”《心理学新论》已由高等教育出版社于2001年4月出版。它是教育部“高等教育面向21世纪教学内容和课程体系改革计划”立项项目“高等师范公共心理学课程整体改革的研究与实践”课题重要研究成果之一。该书作者总结了长期以来我国高师公共课心理学教学和教材建设的经验,适应面向21世纪培养高素质、创新型师范生的需要,从整体上构建了有中国特色的“高师公共心理学”自身独立的体系和内容。     

工作记忆容量与第二语言水平关系的元分析

运用元分析的方法,探讨在中外研究中工作记忆容量与第二语言水平的相关性和影响二者相关的潜在调节变量。通过文献搜索和筛选,共选择63项研究进行分析,时间跨度为1992-2014。结果发现,工作记忆容量与第二语言水平存在中等程度的正相关,效应值为0.358。调节效应检验发现文化背景、工作记忆测量方法、测量内容、测量语言有调节作用。结论：工作记忆容量与第二语言水平之间存在中等程度的正相关,文化背景和工作记忆测量调节二者之间的相关。     

Working Memory Capacity as Executive Attention

Performance on measures of working memory (WM) capacity predicts performance on a wide range of real-world cognitive tasks. I review the idea that WM capacity (a) is separable from short-term memory, (b) is an important component of general fluid intelligence, and (c) represents a domain-free limitation in ability to control attention. Studies show that individual differences in WM capacity are reflected in performance on antisaccade, Stroop, and dichotic-listening tasks. WM capacity, or executive attention, is most important under conditions in which interference leads to retrieval of response tendencies that conflict with the current task.