scholarly journals Theories of Working Memory: Differences in Definition, Degree of Modularity, Role of Attention, and Purpose

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eryn J. Adams ◽  
Anh T. Nguyen ◽  
Nelson Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Group Norms ◽  
Language Research

Purpose The purpose of this article is to review and discuss theories of working memory with special attention to their relevance to language processing. Method We begin with an overview of the concept of working memory itself and review some of the major theories. Then, we show how theories of working memory can be organized according to their stances on 3 major issues that distinguish them: modularity (on a continuum from domain-general to very modular), attention (on a continuum from automatic to completely attention demanding), and purpose (on a continuum from idiographic, or concerned with individual differences, to nomothetic, or concerned with group norms). We examine recent research that has a bearing on these distinctions. Results Our review shows important differences between working memory theories that can be described according to positions on the 3 continua just noted. Conclusion Once properly understood, working memory theories, methods, and data can serve as quite useful tools for language research.

Enduring Debates on Psychology and Language in the 20th Century

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor A. Harley
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Embedded Cognition ◽  
Connectionist Modeling ◽  
Language Research ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Psychological Processing ◽  
The Relationship

Research in the psychology of language has been dogged by some enduring controversies, many of which continue to divide researchers. Furthermore, language research has been riven by too many dichotomies and too many people taking too extreme a position, and progress is only likely to be made when researchers recognize that language is a complex system where simple dichotomies may not be relevant. The enduring controversies cover the width of psycholinguistics, including the work of Chomsky and the nature of language, to what extent language is innately determined and the origin of language and how it evolved. Chomsky’s work has also influenced our conceptions of the modularity of the structure of the mind and the nature of psychological processing. Advances in the sophistication of brain imaging techniques have led to debate about exactly what these techniques can tell us about the psychological processing of language. There has also been much debate about whether psychological processing occurs through explicit rules or statistical mapping, a debate driven by connectionist modeling, deep learning, and techniques for the analysis of “big data.” Another debate concerns the role of prediction in language and cognition and the related issues of the relationship between language comprehension and language production. To what extent is language processing embodied, and how does it relate to controversies about “embedded cognition”? Finally, there has been debate about the purpose and use of language.

Chipping in on the role of conscious processing during children's motor learning by analogy

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina van Duijn ◽  
Simon Thomas ◽  
Rich SW Masters
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Learning By Analogy ◽  
Lower Load ◽  
Conscious Processing ◽  
Conscious Control

The capacity for storing and manipulating information (a function of working memory) is not fully developed until adulthood, so children are not always able to process explicit instructions when learning a new skill. A teaching method that may solve this problem is analogy learning, which compares the to-be-learned skill with a well-known concept by way of a single metaphorical instruction. In adults, analogy learning has been shown to lead to lower load on working memory by reducing the need for conscious processing; however, the effects are unclear in children. If analogy instructions work similarly in children, the propensity to consciously control movements may affect how well children learn by analogy. It is in the interest of coaches and teachers to determine whether analogy instructions can be used to reduce conscious processing in children, and whether propensity for conscious control of movements (movement specific reinvestment) predicts benefits from analogy learning. Thirteen-year-old golf novices (n = 44) were pre-tested and post-tested after practicing a golf-chipping task using explicit rules. One week later, an analogy for learning the golf chip was introduced, and an identical set of post-tests was repeated. Propensity for conscious control/reinvestment predicted improvement in accuracy after the analogy was introduced. Children's motor learning by analogy may be affected by their propensity for conscious control of movements, which suggests that coaches should adapt instructions to individual differences between learners.

Incorporating semantics and individual differences in models of working memory

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-742
Author(s):  
Janice M. Keenan ◽  
Jukka Hyönä ◽  
Johanna K. Kaakinen
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
General Capacity ◽  
Capacity Estimates

Ruchkin et al.'s view of working memory as activated long-term memory is more compatible with language processing than models such as Baddeley's, but it raises questions about individual differences in working memory and the validity of domain-general capacity estimates. Does it make sense to refer to someone as having low working memory capacity if capacity depends on particular knowledge structures tapped by the task?

The interaction between timing of explicit grammar explanation and individual differences in second language acquisition

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilina Kachinske ◽  
Robert DeKeyser
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Language Aptitude ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
Types Of Instruction

Abstract Despite numerous positive findings of explicit instruction, this topic continues to engage scholars worldwide. One issue that may be crucial for the effectiveness of explicit instruction is the interaction between cognitive individual differences (language aptitude and working memory) and types of instruction. In this experiment, 128 learners of Spanish were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments and completed comprehension-based practice for interpreting object-verb and ser/estar sentences in Spanish. Results revealed that the various combinations of rules and practice posed differential task demands on the learners and consequently drew on language aptitude and working memory to a different extent. We argue that not only are rules and practice both necessary, but that their suitable integration ameliorates task demands, reducing the burden on the learner, and accordingly mitigates the role of participants’ individual differences, thus making a substantial difference for the learning of second language grammar.

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