THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF PROCEDURAL MEMORY ASSESSMENTS USED IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION RESEARCH

Abstract Evidence for the role of procedural memory in second language (L2) acquisition has emerged in our field. However, little is known about the reliability and validity of the procedural memory measures used in this research. The present study (N = 119) examined the reliability and the convergent and discriminant validity of three assessments that have previously been used to examine procedural memory learning ability in L2 acquisition, the dual-task Weather Prediction Task (DT-WPT), the Alternating Serial Reaction Time Task (ASRT), and the Tower of London (TOL). Measures of declarative memory learning ability were also collected. For reliability, the DT-WPT and TOL tasks met acceptable standards. For validity, an exploratory factor analysis did not provide evidence for convergent validity, but the ASRT and the TOL showed reasonable discriminant validity with declarative memory measures. We argue that the ASRT may provide the purest engagement of procedural memory learning ability, although more reliable dependent measures for this task should be considered. The Serial Reaction Time task also appears promising, although we recommend further consideration of this task as the present analyses were post hoc and based on a smaller sample. We discuss these results regarding the assessment of procedural memory learning ability as well as implications for implicit language aptitude.

Download Full-text

The reliability and validity of procedural memory assessments used in second language acquisition research

10.31234/osf.io/94j2e ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua Buffington ◽

Alexander Pantelis Demos ◽

Kara Morgan-Short

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Declarative Memory ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction Time Task ◽

Procedural Memory ◽

Learning Ability ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Serial Reaction

Evidence for the role of procedural memory in second language (L2) acquisition has emerged in our field. However, little is known about the reliability and validity of the procedural memory measures used in this research. The present study (N = 99) examined the reliability and the convergent and discriminant validity of three assessments that have previously been used to examine procedural memory learning ability in L2 acquisition, the dual-task Weather Prediction Task (DT-WPT), the Alternating Serial Reaction Time Task (ASRT), and the Tower of London (TOL). Measures of declarative memory learning ability were also collected. For reliability, the DT-WPT and TOL tasks met acceptable standards. For validity, an exploratory factor analysis did not provide evidence for convergent validity, but the ASRT and the TOL showed reasonable discriminant validity with declarative memory measures. We argue that the ASRT may provide the purest engagement of procedural memory learning ability, although more reliable dependent measures for this task should be considered. The Serial Reaction Time task also appears promising, although we recommend further consideration of this task as the present analyses were post hoc and based on a smaller sample. We discuss these results in regard to the assessment of procedural memory learning ability as well as implications for implicit learning aptitude.

Download Full-text

Deficits of Learning in Procedural Memory and Consolidation in Declarative Memory in Adults With Developmental Language Disorder

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00292 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 531-541

Author(s):

F. Sayako Earle ◽

Michael T. Ullman

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Recognition Memory ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Declarative Memory ◽

Memory Task ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction Time Task ◽

Procedural Memory ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Serial Reaction

Purpose This study examined procedural and declarative learning and consolidation abilities in adults with developmental language disorder (DLD) relative to their typical language (TD) peers. Method A total of 100 young adults (age 18–24 years) with ( n = 21) and without ( n = 79) DLD participated across two sites. Performance measures on a recognition memory task and a serial reaction time task were used to assess declarative and procedural memory, respectively. Performance was measured shortly after learning (8 a.m.) and again after a 12-hr, overnight delay (8 a.m.). Results Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to examine the effects of time and group membership on task performance. For the serial reaction time task, there were significant effects of group (TD > DLD) and time (Day 1 > Day 2), but no interaction between them. For the recognition memory task, there was a significant interaction between group and time, driven by overnight gains in the TD group, combined with stable performance across days by those with DLD. Conclusions In procedural memory, adults with DLD demonstrate a learning deficit relative to adults without DLD, but appear to have comparable retention of learned information. In declarative memory, adults with DLD demonstrate a deficit in the overnight enhancement of memory retrieval, despite typical-like learning exhibited when tested shortly after encoding. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13626485

Download Full-text

Data and analysis script for infant and adult eye movement in an adapted ocular-motor serial reaction time task assessing procedural memory

Data in Brief ◽

10.1016/j.dib.2020.105108 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 105108

Author(s):

Felix-Sebastian Koch ◽

Anett Sundqvist ◽

Ulrika Birberg Thornberg ◽

Michael T. Ullman ◽

Rachel Barr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Eye Movement ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction Time Task ◽

Procedural Memory ◽

Ocular Motor ◽

Serial Reaction Time ◽

Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction

Download Full-text

Parallel brain systems for learning with and without awareness.

Learning & Memory ◽

10.1101/lm.1.4.217 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 217-229

Author(s):

P J Reber ◽

L R Squire

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Tacit Knowledge ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Declarative Memory ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction Time Task ◽

Fundamental Issue ◽

Serial Reaction ◽

And Control

A fundamental issue about memory and its different forms is whether learning can occur without the development of conscious knowledge of what is learned. Amnesic patients and control subjects performed a serial reaction time task, exhibiting equivalent learning of an imbedded repeating sequence as measured by gradually improving reaction times. In contrast, four tests of declarative (explicit) knowledge indicated that the amnesic patients were unaware of their knowledge. Moreover, after taking the tests of declarative memory, all subjects continued to demonstrate tacit knowledge of the repeating sequence. This dissociation between declarative and nondeclarative knowledge indicates that the parallel brain systems supporting learning and memory differ in their capacity for affording awareness of what is learned.

Download Full-text