scholarly journals Adaptive control in interpreters: Assessing the impact of training and experience on working memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 772-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soudabeh Nour ◽  
Esli Struys ◽  
Helene Stengers
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Adaptive Control ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Span Task ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Control Hypothesis ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe adaptive control hypothesis predicts adaptation of control mechanisms as a response to intensive language use in bilinguals. The present study aims to investigate this hypothesis in two memory experiments with professional and student interpreters. In experiment 1, we compared a group of interpreting students to translation students using a reading span task to test working memory (WM) and a digit span task to test short-term memory (STM). In experiment 2, we added a group of professional interpreters and compared them with the participants in experiment 1. Training-related improvement was found for WM but not for STM, with no differences between both student groups. Professional interpreters with over 20 years of interpreting experience showed better performance than translation students but not than interpreting students both on WM and STM. The results are discussed in light of the framework of interpreting as a type of extreme bilingualism.

Capacity limitations in short-term memory in schizophrenia: tests of competing hypotheses

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 665-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. GOLDBERG ◽  
K. J. PATTERSON ◽  
Y. TAQQU ◽  
K. WILDER
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Span Task ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Interference Task ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Capacity Limitation ◽  
Set Size ◽  
Normal Controls

Background. Capacity limitation theories have proved to be surprisingly resilient in characterizing some of the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. However, this perspective has not generally been applied to short-term verbal memory tasks. We explored this issue by first attempting to ascertain if gross misallocations of processing resources might explain impairments in short-term memory in schizophrenia on a classic digit span task and in a second study by attempting to determine what effects delay and memory set size had on a divided attention short-term verbal memory paradigm.Methods. In the first study 16 patients with schizophrenia and 21 normal controls received 40 trials of a three digit task and 20 trials of a six digit span task. As the absolute number of digits presented and duration of presentation in two conditions were identical, subjects thus had equivalent ‘opportunities’ to make errors if distraction, in the sense of misallocation of cognitive resources, were at the root of poor performance. In the second study 15 patients with schizophrenia and 15 normal controls were tested in conditions in which two, four or six words were presented and in which rehearsal was prevented by an interference task (colour naming) for delays of 5, 10 or 15 s.Results. Patients had disproportionate difficulty on the six digit rather than the three digit condition, suggesting that deficits in the verbal working memory short-term store may not be the result of attentional factors. In the second study, patients' performance was differentially worsened by the interference task, by memory set size (i.e. a capacity limitation) and by delay, a measure of decay rate.Conclusions. In concert, these studies demonstrate that schizophrenia patients have difficulties on verbal short-term memory span tasks not because of misallocation of resources, but rather because of limitations in ‘representational capacity’ and maintenance of information over delays.

Phonological short-term memory, working memory and foreign language performance in intensive language learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUDIT KORMOS ◽  
ANNA SÁFÁR
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span Test ◽  
Span Test

In our research we addressed the question what the relationship is between phonological short-term and working memory capacity and performance in an end-of-year reading, writing, listening, speaking and use of English test. The participants of our study were 121 secondary school students aged 15–16 in the first intensive language training year of a bilingual education program in Hungary. The participants performed a non-word repetition test and took a Cambridge First Certificate Exam. Fifty students were also tested with a backward digit span test, measuring their working memory capacity. Our study indicates that phonological short-term memory capacity plays a different role in the case of beginners and pre-intermediate students in intensive language learning. The backward digit span test correlated very highly with the overall English language competence, as well as with reading, listening, speaking and use of English (vocabulary and grammar) test scores.

Effect of modafinil on cognitive functions in alcohol dependent patients: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 998-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leen Joos ◽  
Anna E Goudriaan ◽  
Lianne Schmaal ◽  
Wim van den Brink ◽  
Bernard GC Sabbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Treatment Outcome ◽  
Stroop Task ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Alcohol Dependent

Cognitive deficits are highly prevalent in alcohol-dependent (AD) patients and may have a detrimental impact on treatment response and treatment outcome. Enhancing cognitive functions may improve treatment success. Modafinil is a promising compound in this respect. Therefore, a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted with modafinil (300 mg/d) or placebo in 83 AD patients for 10 weeks. Various cognitive functions (digit span task, Tower of London task, Stroop task) were measured at baseline, during and after treatment. Compared to placebo, modafinil improved verbal short-term memory (number of forward digit spans) ( p=0.030), but modafinil exerted a negative effect on the working memory score of the digit span task ( p=0.003). However, subgroup analyses revealed that modafinil did improve both working memory and verbal short-term memory in AD patients with a poor working memory ability at baseline (25% worst performers), whereas no significant treatment effect of modafinil was found on these two dependent variables in patients with good working memory skills at baseline (25% best performers). No effect of modafinil was found on measures of planning (Tower of London task) and selective attention (Stroop task). Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between cognitive remediation and treatment outcome in order to design targeted treatments.

Verbal working memory deficits in abstinent heroin abusers

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 265-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao-Xin Wang ◽  
Zhuang-Wei Xiao ◽  
Da-Ren Zhang ◽  
Chun-Yu Liang ◽  
John X. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Heroin Abusers ◽  
Back Task

Background:A prevailing belief is that opioids tend not to impair cognitive performance in opioid-dependent users. However, the impact of heroin abuse on verbal memory, especially on working memory, is not well studied and the results available are inconsistent.Objective:This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that abstinent heroin abusers have intact working memory capacity.Methods:N-back task and backward digit span task were used to measure the verbal working memory capacity in 28 abstinent heroin abusers and 25 controls matched for age, education level and gender. Forward digit span task was used as a control task to measure short-term memory capacity.Results:Compared with the control subjects, heroin abusers showed normal backward/forward digit spans but significant performance impairment in the n-back task.Conclusion:Abstinent heroin abusers have intact short-term memory capacity but impaired verbal working memory capacity.

scholarly journals Short-term memory of movements at the children age 11 and 12

Psihologija ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anka Marjanovic ◽  
Dejan Lalovic
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Standard Technique ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Span Tasks ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Term Storage

Pantomimed actions recall has been examined on the sample of 11-12 years old school children, employing the standard technique that requires reproduction of pantomimed meaningful and meaningless actions. Forward and backward digit span tasks have been used in the same experimental session to provide a rough estimate of the short-term storage and working memory capacity. Correlation between meaningless actions reproduction and backward digit span has been established, while the difference in meaningful and meaningless actions reproduction remained insignificant. The examined data have been discussed in the frame of short-term working memory role in actions remembering debate.

The Effects of Cognitive Demand upon Relationships between Working Memory and Cognitive Skills

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 1378-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L. St Clair-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Cognitive Demand ◽  
Span Task ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Memory Research ◽  
Term Memory

The present study explored the effects of cognitive demand upon relationships between working memory and cognitive skills. Both children and adults were tested on a measure of short-term memory and three measures of counting span, which varied in cognitive demand. When statistically controlling for short-term memory and the speed of counting operations, the more demanding the counting-span task, the closer its relationship with cognitive skills. The results are discussed in terms of practical and theoretical implications for working memory research.

Verbal and Visuospatial Span in Logopenic Progressive Aphasia and Alzheimer's Disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Foxe ◽  
Muireann Irish ◽  
John R. Hodges ◽  
Olivier Piguet
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Span Task ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Progressive Aphasia ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
Memory Disturbance

AbstractLogopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) is a form of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) characterized by hesitant speech with marked impairment in naming and repetition. LPA is associated with brain atrophy in the left temporal and inferior parietal cortices and is predominantly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. In contrast to LPA, “typical” AD is commonly associated with episodic memory disturbance and bilateral medial temporal lobe atrophy. Recent evidence suggests verbal short-term memory is more impaired than visuospatial short-term memory in LPA. This study investigated verbal and visuospatial short-term memory in 12 LPA and 12 AD patients matched for disease severity, and in 12 age- and education-matched healthy controls. Overall, both patient groups showed significantly reduced verbal and visuospatial spans compared with controls. In addition, LPA patients performed significantly worse than AD patients on both forward and backward conditions of the Digit Span task. In contrast, no difference was present between patient groups on either version of the Spatial Span task. Importantly, LPA patients showed better visuospatial than verbal span whereas AD patients and controls did not differ across modality. This study demonstrates the specificity of the short-term memory disturbance in LPA, which arises from a breakdown of the phonological system. (JINS, 2012, 19, 1–7)

Short-term memory, working memory and linguistic abilities in bilingual children with Developmental Language Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanna Talli ◽  
Stavroula Stavrakaki
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Word Repetition

This article investigates verbal short-term memory (vSTM) and verbal working memory (vWM) abilities and their relation to lexical and syntactic abilities in monolingual (mono-) and bilingual (bi-) children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and typical development (TD). The authors employed the following tasks: vSTM (non-word repetition and forward digit span), vWM (backward digit span), receptive vocabulary, syntactic production (sentence repetition) and syntactic comprehension (relative clauses, reflexives and passives). While the mono- and bi-DLD groups underperformed the mono- and bi-TD groups respectively in all tasks, the two clinical groups differed only in receptive vocabulary. vSTM was a significant predictor of syntactic performance for both monolinguals and bilinguals, while vWM was a significant predictor of syntactic performance only for bilinguals. These findings suggest that impairments in vSTM, wVM and syntax are core clinical features in DLD, and that vWM makes a greater contribution to syntax in bilinguals than in monolinguals.

Conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) supports core claims of Christiansen and Chater

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Potter
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Rapid Serial Visual Presentation ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Use Of Knowledge

AbstractRapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of words or pictured scenes provides evidence for a large-capacity conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) that momentarily provides rich associated material from long-term memory, permitting rapid chunking (Potter 1993; 2009; 2012). In perception of scenes as well as language comprehension, we make use of knowledge that briefly exceeds the supposed limits of working memory.

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