An Investigation of the Role of Working Memory in Procedural Skill Acquisition

On the basis of the ACT* production system theory of skill acquisition ( Anderson, 1983a , 1987 ), I generated predictions concerning the role of two proposed classes of working-memory limitations in procedural learning. Individual differences analyses of a laboratory procedural learning task tested...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental psychology. General 1988-09, Vol.117 (3), p.319-331
Main Author: Woltz, Dan J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Conditioning
Education and psychology
Educational sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Learning
Learning. Memory
Psychology and learning
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Short Term Memory
Skill Learning
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Summary:On the basis of the ACT* production system theory of skill acquisition ( Anderson, 1983a , 1987 ), I generated predictions concerning the role of two proposed classes of working-memory limitations in procedural learning. Individual differences analyses of a laboratory procedural learning task tested these predictions. As hypothesized, measures of controlled attention in working memory predicted initial declarative rule acquisition and proceduralization, and measures of automatic activation in working memory predicted indexes of later production composition and strengthening. Results supported a distinction between two working-memory capacity constructs that impose unique limits on processes of skill acquisition.
ISSN:0096-3445
1939-2222
DOI:10.1037/0096-3445.117.3.319