Working Memory Components and Problem-Solving Accuracy: Are There Multiple Pathways?

This study determined the working memory (WM) components (executive, phonological short-term memory [STM], and visual-spatial sketchpad) that best predicted mathematical word problem-solving accuracy in elementary schoolchildren (N = 392). The battery of tests administered to assess mediators betwee...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational psychology 2016-11, Vol.108 (8), p.1153-1177
Main Authors: Swanson, H. Lee, Fung, Wenson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Achievement Tests
Arithmetic
Children
Computation
Correlation
Diagnostic Tests
Elementary School Students
Executive Function
Female
Goodness of Fit
Grade 3
Human
Inhibition
Intelligence
Intelligence Tests
Knowledge
Male
Mathematical Ability
Mathematical problems
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Mathematics Tests
Memory
Naming
Phonology
Problem Solving
Regression (Statistics)
Short Term Memory
Spatial Ability
Structural Equation Models
Tests
Visual Perception
Word Problems (Mathematics)
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study determined the working memory (WM) components (executive, phonological short-term memory [STM], and visual-spatial sketchpad) that best predicted mathematical word problem-solving accuracy in elementary schoolchildren (N = 392). The battery of tests administered to assess mediators between WM and problem-solving included measures of domain-general knowledge (fluid intelligence, reading, calculation), domain-general processes (naming speed, inhibition), domain-specific knowledge (word-problem representation, planning) and domain-specific processes (estimation and numerical magnitude judgments). Structural equation modeling analyses indicated (a) the executive component of WM and phonological STM yielded significant direct paths to problem-solving accuracy in the fully mediated model; (b) domain general knowledge (reading, calculation), domain-specific knowledge (problem representation, magnitude judgments) and domain general processes (inhibition) uniquely mediated the relationship between components of WM (executive, phonological STM) and problem-solving accuracy; and (c) those processes failing to uniquely mediate the relationship between WM and problem-solving accuracy in the full mediation model were measures of fluid intelligence, planning and estimation. The results support the notion that both the executive and phonological storage components of WM draw upon some of the same resources in predicting problem-solving, but none of the aforementioned mediation variables completely compensated for the influence of these 2 WM components on children's mathematical word problem-solving. More importantly, the findings suggest there are multiple pathways that mediate the relationship between components of WM performance and problem-solving accuracy.
ISSN:0022-0663
1939-2176
DOI:10.1037/edu0000116