A temporal–contextual retrieval account of complex span: An analysis of errors

Complex working memory span tasks have been shown to predict performance on a number of measures of higher-order cognition including fluid abilities. However, exactly why performance on these tasks is related to higher-order cognition is still not known. The present study examined the patterns of er...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of memory and language 2006-04, Vol.54 (3), p.346-362
Main Authors: Unsworth, Nash, Engle, Randall W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive Ability
Complex span
Cues
Error Analysis (Language)
Error Patterns
Errors
Fluid abilities
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Individual Differences
Learning. Memory
Memory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Scoring
Task Analysis
Thinking Skills
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Summary:Complex working memory span tasks have been shown to predict performance on a number of measures of higher-order cognition including fluid abilities. However, exactly why performance on these tasks is related to higher-order cognition is still not known. The present study examined the patterns of errors made on two common complex span tasks. The results suggest that the patterns of errors made on these tasks are an important indicator of the processes that underlie performance and point to the importance of temporal–contextual cues. Furthermore, the individual differences data suggest that low scoring participants do not make more of each type of error at all serial positions, but rather the variability is localized to a few theoretically meaningful positions for each error type. The results suggest that low scoring participants have less precise temporal–contextual cues which leads to an inefficient search of memory.
ISSN:0749-596X
1096-0821
DOI:10.1016/j.jml.2005.11.004