Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil (2012)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Investigate development of phonological loop in working memory

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

575 spanish children
Pre, primary and secondary school in Madrid 5-17 yrs old

Question 3

Setting of experiment

Answer 3

Field settings - schoolds

Question 4

Independent variable

Answer 4

Years of school

Question 5

Dependent variable

Answer 5

Mean verbal digit span

Question 6

Procedure of digit span testing

Answer 6

Sequences of random digits, increase by 1 digit every correct answer
Read aloud to each participant individually

Question 7

Findings

Answer 7

5 yrs = mean 3.76 digit span
11 yrs = 5.28
17 yrs = 5.91

Elderly anglo-saxons = higher digit span than 5/6 yr olds
Dementia has similar to 5/6 yr olds

Question 8

Conclusions

Answer 8

Digit span increases with age
Capacity of phonological loop affected by age rather than dementia
(Spanish = lower digit span than english -> but word length is longer
Word length effects because we rehearse words sub-vocally, should be no difference in digit span)

Question 9

Construct validity

Answer 9

High
Control over extraneous variables => used standardised procedures, digits read to them at 1 per second which is the same for everyone
Helped control confounding variables to a reasonable degree of internal validity

Question 10

CA

Answer 10

Children were not tested for hearing impairments
Impairments could have influenced performance on digit span

Question 11

Weakness

Answer 11

Low ecological validity, way they measured STM does not equate to real life
OR
Dementia group sample small
Conclusions regarding functionality of phonological loop in old age may be questionable

Question 12

Application

Answer 12

People with longer digit spans are better readers and have higher general intelligence
Gignac and Weiss -> Shorter digit spans linked to dyslexia
Digit span can be used to explain important real-life cognitive skills

Question 13

Representative

Answer 13

only used spanish speaking children in madrid, so cant generalise to other languages beyond this population

Question 14

Use of cross sectional groups

Answer 14

Allowed them to track development of digit span over time without extended duration of conducting longitudinal study

Question 15

Using digit span as a measurement baddd

Answer 15

Artifical
Limited task validity as children unlikely to learn random sequences of numbers in day-to-day experiences

Question 16

Replicabilty

Answer 16

Able to test verbal digit span across cultures easily
to understand cross-cultural development and individual differences in phonological processing in working memory

Question 17

Ecological validity verbal memory

Answer 17

Low
Verbal memory barely used to memorise digit lists, however, digit span linked to reading ability intelligence suggesting similar to verbal memory

Question 18

Construct validity

Answer 18

Digit span tests linked to ability intelligence, good general measure of verbal memory