Working Memory Capacity and Relative Clause Attachment Preference of Persian EFL Learners: Does Segmentation Play Any Role?

Author(s):  
Mohammad Hadi Mahmoodi ◽  
Hamidreza Sheykholmoluki ◽  
Mohammad Reza Zoghipaydar ◽  
Saeed Shahsavari
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Yuhan Ge

In the past few decades, there have been eminent interests in reading performance as essential means for language input. In view of that, extensive studies have been conducted to explore the factors that affect reading performance from various aspects. In the cognitive psychology field, some studies have examined the relationship between field dependent-field independent (FD-FI) cognitive styles and working memory capacity (WMC) on English reading, respectively. However, only limited studies focused on the correlation among FD-FI cognitive styles, WMC and English reading performance. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain these correlations. A total of 42 intermediate “English as Foreign Language” (EFL) learners participated in this study. In order to measure the learners’ FD-FI cognitive style, WMC and English reading performance, the Cognitive Style Figures Test, reading span task and the International English Language Test System (IELTS) reading test were adopted, respectively. Data analyses such as Pearson’s correlation, independent sample t-test and two-way ANOVA were done using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 25. The results suggested a statistically significant correlation between FD-FI cognitive style and WM with English reading performance, respectively. The main effect of WM and FD-FI cognitive style is significant while the interaction between them is not significant in reading performance.


2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
NOBUHIKO AKAMATSU

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated the effects of word-recognition training on the word-recognition processing of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Providing 7-week word-recognition training, the study examined whether such training improves EFL learners' word-recognition performance. The main aspects of this study concerned word frequency and working-memory capacity in automatization of word recognition. Analysis of variance and correlational analyses revealed qualitative differences in the improvement of EFL word-recognition performance with respect to word frequency. The improvement in the processing of high-frequency words was associated with simple speedup; conversely, the processing of low-frequency words was associated with automatization. Results also showed that working-memory capacity might not play a noticeable role in improving word-recognition speed or efficiency.


2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1325-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenda Andrews ◽  
Damian Birney ◽  
Graeme S. Halford

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-249
Author(s):  
Xuezhu Ren ◽  
Tengfei Wang ◽  
Karl Schweizer ◽  
Jing Guo

Abstract. Although attention control accounts for a unique portion of the variance in working memory capacity (WMC), the way in which attention control contributes to WMC has not been thoroughly specified. The current work focused on fractionating attention control into distinctly different executive processes and examined to what extent key processes of attention control including updating, shifting, and prepotent response inhibition were related to WMC and whether these relations were different. A number of 216 university students completed experimental tasks of attention control and two measures of WMC. Latent variable analyses were employed for separating and modeling each process and their effects on WMC. The results showed that both the accuracy of updating and shifting were substantially related to WMC while the link from the accuracy of inhibition to WMC was insignificant; on the other hand, only the speed of shifting had a moderate effect on WMC while neither the speed of updating nor the speed of inhibition showed significant effect on WMC. The results suggest that these key processes of attention control exhibit differential effects on individual differences in WMC. The approach that combined experimental manipulations and statistical modeling constitutes a promising way of investigating cognitive processes.


Author(s):  
Wim De Neys ◽  
Niki Verschueren

Abstract. The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) is an intriguing example of the discrepancy between people’s intuitions and normative reasoning. This study examines whether the notorious difficulty of the MHD is associated with limitations in working memory resources. Experiment 1 and 2 examined the link between MHD reasoning and working memory capacity. Experiment 3 tested the role of working memory experimentally by burdening the executive resources with a secondary task. Results showed that participants who solved the MHD correctly had a significantly higher working memory capacity than erroneous responders. Correct responding also decreased under secondary task load. Findings indicate that working memory capacity plays a key role in overcoming salient intuitions and selecting the correct switching response during MHD reasoning.


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