Verbal and Visuospatial Short-Term and Working Memory in Children: Are They Separable?

  1. Tracy Packiam Alloway1,
  2. Susan Elizabeth Gathercole1,
  3. Susan J. Pickering2

Article first published online: 14 NOV 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00968.x

Issue

Child Development

Child Development

Volume 77, Issue 6, pages 1698–1716, November/December 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Alloway, T. P., Gathercole, S. E. and Pickering, S. J. (2006), Verbal and Visuospatial Short-Term and Working Memory in Children: Are They Separable?. Child Development, 77: 1698–1716. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00968.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Durham

  2. 2

    University of Bristol

* concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway, School of Education, University of Durham, Leazes Road, Durham DH1 1TA, U.K. Electronic mail may be sent to t.p.alloway@durham.ac.uk.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 NOV 2006
  2. Article first published online: 14 NOV 2006

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (193K)

This study explored the structure of verbal and visuospatial short-term and working memory in children between ages 4 and 11 years. Multiple tasks measuring 4 different memory components were used to capture the cognitive processes underlying working memory. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the processing component of working memory tasks was supported by a common resource pool, while storage aspects depend on domain-specific verbal and visuospatial resources. This model is largely stable across this developmental period, although some evidence exists that the links between the domain-specific visuospatial construct and the domain-general processing construct were higher in the 4- to- 6-year age group. The data also suggest that all working memory components are in place by 4 years of age.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (193K)