Does learner cognition count on modality? Working memory and L2 morphosyntactic achievement across oral and written tasks

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1171-1196
Author(s):  
Janire Zalbidea ◽  
Cristina Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
Relative Level ◽  
Writing Group ◽  
Written Form ◽  
Task Perception ◽  
Task Modality ◽  
Acceptability Judgment ◽  
And Task

AbstractThis study investigates how working memory (WM) abilities are implicated in second language (L2) learners’ (a) morphosyntactic achievement and (b) perceptions of required mental effort and task difficulty under oral versus written task modality conditions. Beginning-level learners of L2 Spanish completed two computerized focused tasks in which they produced output and received feedback in oral form (Speaking group) or written form (Writing group). Two grammatical structures varying in their relative level of salience were targeted. After each task, participants rated their perceptions of mental effort required and task difficulty. Production and written and aural acceptability judgment tasks were employed to measure immediate and sustained L2 morphosyntactic achievement. Executive, phonological, and visuospatial WM abilities were gauged using automated operation span, nonword recognition, and forward Corsi block-tapping tasks, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that WM capacity was predictive of L2 morphosyntactic outcomes and task perception ratings in the Speaking group only. Specifically, phonological and visuospatial WM were associated with production and acceptability judgment performance accuracy, whereas executive WM was related to learners’ ratings of perceived mental effort. Differences were also observed based on the target structure.

Effects of Working Memory Capacity, Task Switching, and Task Difficulty on Multitasking Performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 502-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shijing Liu ◽  
Amy Wadeson ◽  
Na Young Kim ◽  
Chang S. Nam
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
Switching Task ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Multitasking requires human operators to handle the demands of multiple tasks through task switching at the same time and this ability is required in many jobs. Previous studies showed that different levels of working memory capacity (WMC) and task switching abilities can lead to differences on multitasking performance. With increased complexity of tasks, maintaining task performance is challenging. This study sought to find the relations of WMC, task switching, task difficulty, and multitasking performance. Multi-Attribute Task Battery II (MATB-II) was employed in this study as a platform to assess multitasking. Automated OSPAN and Trail Making Tasks (TMT) were used to assess WMC and the task switching ability, respectively. Results indicated that there were significant effects of these three parameters on multitasking performance. Other dimensions of multitasking performance will be addressed in future studies.

Effects of Stress and Task Difficulty on Working Memory and Cortical Networking

2017 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 1194-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujin Kim ◽  
Jihwan Woo ◽  
Minjung Woo
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Stress Condition ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
Easy Task ◽  
Memory Accuracy ◽  
High Stress Condition ◽  
And Task

This study investigated interactive effects of stress and task difficulty on working memory and cortico-cortical communication during memory encoding. Thirty-eight adolescent participants (mean age of 15.7 ± 1.5 years) completed easy and hard working memory tasks under low- and high-stress conditions. We analyzed the accuracy and reaction time (RT) of working memory performance and inter- and intrahemispheric electroencephalogram coherences during memory encoding. Working memory accuracy was higher, and RT shorter, in the easy versus the hard task. RT was shorter under the high-stress (TENS) versus low-stress (no-TENS) condition, while there was no difference in memory accuracy between the two stress conditions. For electroencephalogram coherence, we found higher interhemispheric coherence in all bands but only at frontal electrode sites in the easy versus the hard task. On the other hand, intrahemispheric coherence was higher in the left hemisphere in the easy (versus hard task) and higher in the right hemisphere (with one exception) in the hard (versus easy task). Inter- and intracoherences were higher in the low- versus high-stress condition. Significant interactions between task difficulty and stress condition were observed in coherences of the beta frequency band. The difference in coherence between low- and high-stress conditions was greater in the hard compared with the easy task, with lower coherence under the high-stress condition relative to the low-stress condition. Stress seemed to cause a decrease in cortical network communications between memory-relevant cortical areas as task difficulty increased.

Diurnal effects of illuminance on performance: Exploring the moderating role of cognitive domain and task difficulty

2021 ◽  
pp. 147715352199064
Author(s):  
T Ru ◽  
KCHJ Smolders ◽  
Q Chen ◽  
G Zhou ◽  
YAW de Kort
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
Subjective Sleepiness ◽  
And Task

Literature has occasionally reported acute effects of office illuminance on cognitive performance during daytime. The current study was conducted to systematically investigate whether the type of task and level of task difficulty moderate the effect of daytime illuminance on cognitive functioning. Thirty healthy participants were assigned to high (∼1036 lux at eye level; melanopic EDI = 904 lux) vs. low (∼108 lux at eye level, melanopic EDI = 87 lux) illuminance (at 6500 K) during working hours, in which participants were tested on both easy and difficult versions of tasks probing sustained attention, response inhibition, conflict monitoring and working memory. Subjective sleepiness and mood were also measured. Results revealed that exposure to high vs. low illuminance significantly improved speed on the response inhibition task, and accuracy and speed on the working memory tasks. Moreover, when effects arose, these were moderated by task difficulty, consistently showing more pronounced effects for easy than for difficult trials. Notably, subjective sleepiness and negative mood remained unaffected by illuminance, and no statistically significant effects emerged for sustained attention and conflict monitoring. This study demonstrates that the diurnal cognitive effects of illuminance may be moderated by both types of cognitive task and task difficulty.

scholarly journals Large-scale assessment of 7-11-year-olds’ cognitive and sensorimotor function within the Born in Bradford longitudinal birth cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Liam JB Hill ◽  
Katy A Shire ◽  
Richard J Allen ◽  
Kirsty Crossley ◽  
Megan L Wood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Born In Bradford ◽  
Group Variation ◽  
And Task

Background: Cognitive ability and sensorimotor function are crucial aspects of children’s development, and are associated with physical and mental health outcomes and educational attainment. The current project forms part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) longitudinal birth-cohort study, and involved measuring sensorimotor and cognitive function in over 15,000 children aged 7-10 years. This paper describes the large-scale data collection process and presents initial analyses of the data, including the relationship between cognition/sensorimotor ability and age and task difficulty, and associations between tasks. Method: Data collection was completed in 86 schools between May 2016 and July 2019. Children were tested at school, individually, using a tablet computer with a digital stylus or finger touch for input. Assessments comprised a battery of three sensorimotor tasks (Tracking, Aiming, & Steering) and five cognitive tasks (three Working Memory tasks, Inhibition, and Processing Speed), which took approximately 40 minutes. Results: Performance improved with increasing age and decreasing task difficulty, for each task. Performance on all three sensorimotor tasks was correlated, as was performance on the three working memory tasks. In addition, performance on a composite working memory score correlated with performance on both inhibition and processing speed. Interestingly, within age-group variation was much larger than between age-group variation. Conclusions: The current project collected computerised measures of a range of cognitive and sensorimotor functions at 7-10 years of age in over 15,000 children. Performance varied as expected by age and task difficulty, and showed the predicted correlations between related tasks. Large within-age group variation highlights the need to consider the profile of individual children in studying cognitive and sensorimotor development. These data can be linked to the wider BiB dataset including measures of physical and mental health, biomarkers and genome-wide data, socio-demographic information, and routine data from local health and education services.

scholarly journals MEASURING COGNITIVE TASK DEMANDS USING DUAL-TASK METHODOLOGY, SUBJECTIVE SELF-RATINGS, AND EXPERT JUDGMENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Révész ◽  
Marije Michel ◽  
Roger Gilabert
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Task Condition ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Dual Task Condition ◽  
And Task

This study explored the usefulness of dual-task methodology, self-ratings, and expert judgments in assessing task-generated cognitive demands as a way to provide validity evidence for manipulations of task complexity. The participants were 96 students and 61 English as a second language (ESL) teachers. The students, 48 English native speakers and 48 ESL speakers, carried out simple and complex versions of three oral tasks—a picture narrative, a map task, and a decision-making task. Half of the students completed the tasks under a dual-task condition. The remaining half performed the tasks under a single-task condition without a secondary task. Participants in the single condition were asked to rate their perceived mental effort and task difficulty. The ESL teachers provided expert judgments of anticipated mental effort and task difficulty along with explanations for their ratings via an online questionnaire. As predicted, the more complex task versions were found and judged to pose greater cognitive effort on most measures.

scholarly journals The interaction of working memory capacity and task difficulty affects mind-wandering

2019 ◽  
Vol 83 (0) ◽  
pp. 2C-033-2C-033
Author(s):  
Risa Nakagawa ◽  
Shiho Kashihara ◽  
Junya Hashimoto ◽  
Ryota Kobayashi ◽  
Makoto Miyatani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
And Task
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