Sebástian & Hernández-Gil Flashcards
What type of study was it?
A cross sectional study
How many children were tested and over how many age groups?
570 children over 5 age groups
What was the procedure?
They tested individually with digit span test, increasing in length at a rate of one per second, they were asked to recall this in order and the mean average correct recall recorded
What was the conclusion?
Children’s digit span increase with age after they develop the ability to sub vocalise, at around 7. Digit span in Spanish children is significantly shorter than Anglo-Saxon cultures, due to word length for numbers
What did the results show?
There was a clear developmental trend of increasing digit span with age
What are the advantages of longitudinal studies
Same children are being used so there are no individual differences
What are the disadvantages of longitudinal studies
It is time- consuming
It has an extremely high attrition rate so you have to start with an enormously high starting sample
What are the advantages of cross sectional studies
It’s quicker to get results
No attrition rate to decline the sample
Cheaper to run
Larger sample which means they are more representative
Disadvantages of cross sectional studies
You have individual differences which could cause changes in the DV
Results of the study
Pre-school Mean 3.76 w/ standard deviation of 0.52
Secondary (15-17) mean 5.83 w/ standard deviation of 0.84
What happens at age 7?
The phonological loop is functional
What difference is there between Spanish and Anglo Saxon children
Their words are longer when vocalised as opposed to Anglo Saxon cultures
What is the generalisability of the study
Only applicable to Spanish speaking nations and whilst there is a large sample size, it is not likely to the be representative
How reliable is this study?
It is
What was the aim of the study?
To investigate the development of the phonological loop in children between the ages of 5 and 17, using a digit span test
