Working Memory Capacity and Self-Repair Behavior in First and Second Language Oral Production

This study explores the relationship between working memory capacity and self-repair behavior in first (L1) and second language (L2) oral production. 40 Iranian intermediate EFL learners participated in this study. Their working memory capacity was measured via a version of listening span test. The participants performed two oral narrative tasks, one in their L2 (English) and one in their L1 (Farsi). Then, they were asked to listen to their own narrations and comment on the repairs they made in their speech. Self-repairs were analyzed and categorized taking into account the participants’ stimulated recall comments. Results of the analyses pointed to positive correlations between the participants’ working memory capacity and self-repairs in the L2 but not in the L1. Also, results revealed that whereas in the case of L1, the participants effectuated different-information and appropriacy repairs more than error-repairs, in the case of L2 more error-repairs were made.     

小学生的工作记忆资源分配策略

以连环数运算的问题解决为实验材料,以小学三到六年级175名学生为被试,对小学生工作记忆资源的分配策略进行了考察。结果发现:小学生工作记忆资源的分配策略有多种,策略具有多样性;外部策略的正确性高于内部策略和内外部结合策略;使用不同策略解决问题的反应时差异显著;高年级学生比低年级学生更倾向于选择效率较高的策略。     

Working Memory and Spoken Language Comprehension in Young Children

This study has two theoretical dimensions: (a) to explore which components of Baddeley's (1986) working memory model are associated with children's spoken language comprehension, and (b) to compare the extent to which measures of the components of this fractionated model and an index of a unitary model (listening span) are able to predict individual differences in spoken language comprehension. Correlational analyses revealed that within a group of 66 4– and 5-year-old children both listening span and phonological memory, but not visuospatial memory, were associated with vocabulary knowledge and spoken language comprehension. However, of the proposed measures of central executive function—dual task coordination, sustained attention, verbal fluency—only the latter was related to children's ability to understand spoken language. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that variance in vocabulary knowledge was best explained by phonological memory skills, whereas individual differences in spoken language comprehension exhibited unique and independent associations with verbal fluency.     

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。     

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.     

言语工作记忆对视觉工作记忆的影响

工作记忆是当前认知心理学中的一个研究热点,而其言语子系统与视觉子系统之间的关系又是一个颇具争论性的问题。实验1、2采用双任务范式考察了言语工作记忆对视觉工作记忆的影响。结果发现,满负荷言语负载条件下的视觉记忆的成绩显著低于无言语负载条件。这表明,言语工作记忆影响了视觉工作记忆任务的完成。     

工作记忆与情景记忆的相互作用

虽然Baddeley的工作记忆模型得到大量实验研究的支持,但是有关工作记忆和长时记忆之间的关系未能得到详细阐述。来自神经心理学的证据表明,工作记忆与情景长时记忆任务均诱发了前额区的激活,但同时发现前额区存在不同的功能分区,可能在工作记忆与情景记忆过程中具有独立的执行功能。工作记忆与情景记忆的相互作用是当前记忆研究关注的问题。已有研究发现,在情景记忆对工作记忆的作用过程中,时间进程与头皮分布均显示了年龄效应与材料加工特点。而工作记忆对情景记忆的作用中,则发现工作记忆早期加工可能对情景记忆的成功形成有更大促进作用。今后的研究应在理论模型支持下,利用多种技术手段探讨两种记忆相互作用的神经加工机制     

Working Memory in the Acquisition of Vocabulary and Syntax: Putting Language in Good Order

This paper argues that working memory is heavily involved in language acquisition as (a) a major part of language learning is the learning of sequences, (b) working memory allows short-term maintenance of sequence information, and (c) short-term rehearsal of sequences promotes the consolidation of long-term memories of language sequences. It first reviews evidence supporting this position. Next it presents an experiment that demonstrates that subjects encouraged to rehearse foreign language (FL) utterances are better than both silent controls and subjects who are prevented from rehearsal by articulatory suppression at (a) learning to comprehend and translate FL words and phrases, (b) explicit metalinguistic knowledge of the detailed content of grammatical regularities, (c) acquisition of the FL forms of words and phrases, (d) accuracy in FL pronunciation, and (e) some aspects of productive (but not receptive) grammatical fluency and accuracy. Finally, it describes possible mechanisms underlying these effects.     

中学生连环数运算中的工作记忆资源分配策略

以初一到高三274名中学生为被试,以连环数认知运算为实验材料,对中学生工作记忆资源的分配策略进行了考察,结果表明:中学生工作记忆资源的分配存在多种策略,且具有多样性;外部策略的正确性高于内部策略和内外部结合策略;中学生使用不同策略解决问题的反应时差异显著;以学生的策略选择的百分比和策略的正确率与解题速度为指标综合考察学生的策略选择来看,中学生较倾向于选择正确率较高的策略。     

作记忆同中心模型

回顾了同中心模型研究方法和近期研究结果,从工作记忆注意焦点容量、存储与加工关系及工作记忆容量个体差异等三方面阐述该模型的理论意义,通过与嵌套加工模型、多成分模型及Unsworth和Engle的工作记忆观点比较,分析该模型优势及不足。文末展望未来研究方向     

推理与工作记忆

系统地总结了推理与工作记忆的研究进展,具体包括：（1）工作记忆的含义及其在推理中作用的相关研究;（2）推理与工作记忆关系的理论模型;（3）不同类型推理与工作记忆的实验研究;（4）推理与工作记忆的认知神经研究;（5）推理与工作记忆的未来研究展望     

工作记忆和推理

该文论述了工作记忆和推理之间的关系。首先论述了工作记忆和推理能力的关系,接着阐述了工作记忆各成分和各类推理的关系,最后简单介绍了神经心理学在这方面的研究成果。     

Working Memory Updating: Load and Binding

In the present study, we aimed to examine how specific objects are updated in working memory. We compared conditions in which contents or content-context bindings from working memory were both encoded and updated (Experiment 1). In addition, for bindings, we manipulated the memory load (i.e., number of contents) to maintain during updating. Results indicated that memory load did not specifically affect the process; rather, the content-context binding (vs. single contents) was critical in determining the increase in response latencies. Results were replicated even in Experiment 2, in which we manipulated the spatial locations of the to-be-recognized probes. Results showed evidence of a potential dissociation between updating of memory contents-only and content-context bindings. In addition, memory load and spatial coherence between phases and probe recognition did not interact with updating performance. Overall, results were taken as a contribution toward mapping the complex nature of the updating mechanism.     

Investigating the Relative Contributions of Computerised Working Memory Training and English Language Teaching to Cognitive and Foreign Language Development

The current study reports on an intervention study that investigated the relative contributions of 5‐week English language training (ELT) and 5‐week working memory training (WMT) to improvements in English language knowledge and working memory capacity in university learners of English as a foreign language. The participants were allocated to one of the following three experimental groups and a control group: (i) ELT only; (ii) WMT only; and (iii) both WMT and ELT. The results showed that intervention effects were pronounced in the WMT + ELT group, who improved scores on the reading span test and all tests of verbal and visuo‐spatial short‐term and working memory. The gains on verbal short‐term (Japanese) and working memory (Japanese and English) were maintained 3 months later. None of the interventions, single or combined, were associated with gains in foreign language knowledge, however. The sustained effects of the dual approach and its implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

认知负荷对小学生工作记忆资源分配策略的影响

以不同认知负荷的连环数认知运算为实验材料,以小学三到六年级175名学生为被试,考察了认知负荷对小学生工作记忆资源分配策略的影响。结果表明:认知负荷的难度明显地影响到了小学生工作记忆资源分配策略。在策略的选择方面,认知负荷对于小学生认知操作成绩的影响力在低年龄段时没有达到显著性差异,而小学六年级则差异显著;在策略的正确率方面,认知负荷难度的影响力随年级的升高而相对减少;在策略的解题速度方面,认知负荷的难度也明显地影响到了小学生工作记忆资源分配策略的解题速度。     

学龄儿童工作记忆结构的验证研究

该研究目标是验证儿童工作记忆是否符合Baddeley提出的由中央执行、情景缓冲区、语音环路及视觉空间模板构成的四成分模型。211名6~9岁小学生完成9个工作记忆任务,这些任务分别测量工作记忆四个子成分的功能。验证性因素分析表明,四因素模型比三因素模型和单因素模型更好地拟合数据。在小学阶段儿童工作记忆不是一个单一的结构,已经分化为四个子成分构成的记忆系统。     

工作记忆刷新功能的可塑性

从工作记忆刷新功能的训练入手, 以不同人群为研究对象, 采用活动记忆任务, 从行为层面和认知神经层面探讨工作记忆刷新功能的可塑性。结果发现, 工作记忆刷新功能具有可塑性。具体表现为, 通过刷新功能训练, 个体在工作记忆刷新任务上的成绩提高。工作记忆刷新功能训练使得个体对刺激的识别能力增强, 对无关信息的抑制能力提高, 进而促使工作记忆中的更新能力得到提升。通过工作记忆刷新训练可以提高个体其它认知功能, 但是, 相对于认知能力稳定以及衰退的个体, 这种迁移效应在工作记忆能力发展个体中的表现更为明显。     

工作记忆中的词长效应

工作记忆中的词长效应是指在即时序列回忆中短单词列的成绩优于长单词列的现象。该文首先回顾与词长效应有关的实验研究及阐述对应的理论解释,包括经典的语音回路理论和新近提出的特征模型、整合理论、项目位置权衡理论和SIMPLE理论等,然后介绍在这一方面运用脑成像技术研究的进展,如ERP,PET和fMRI方面的研究,为词长效应理论解释提供了进一步的证据,接着讨论词长效应研究中存在的争议,最后简评各主要理论并展望了今后研究的趋势