Abstract
Working memory is a cognitive system devoted to storage and retrieval processing of information. Numerous studies on the development of working memory have investigated the processing of visuo-spatial and verbal non-spatialized information; however, little is known regarding the refinement of acoustic spatial and memory abilities across development. Here, we hypothesize that audio-spatial memory skills improve over development, due to strengthening spatial and cognitive skills such as semantic elaboration. We asked children aged 6 to 11 years old (n = 55) to pair spatialized animal calls with the corresponding animal spoken name. Spatialized sounds were emitted from an audio-haptic device, haptically explored by children with the dominant hand’s index finger. Children younger than 8 anchored their exploration strategy on previously discovered sounds instead of holding this information in working memory and performed worse than older peers when asked to pair the spoken word with the corresponding animal call. In line with our hypothesis, these findings demonstrate that age-related improvements in spatial exploration and verbal coding memorization strategies affect how children learn and memorize items belonging to a complex acoustic spatial layout. Similar to vision, audio-spatial memory abilities strongly depend on cognitive development in early years of life.
Highlights
In everyday life, we need to encode and temporarily store features of objects in our surrounding environment
When we need to recall an object’s position, spatial and semantic binding to the surroundings aid this task [1]. Such processes are accomplished through working memory (WM), a cognitive system involved in the maintenance and sequential manipulation of incoming, task-relevant information
We introduced the spatial exploration of an array of acoustic items to study the influence of development in the storage and pairing of spatialized sounds and their interaction with semantic associations, providing insightful understanding of exploratory and phonological strategies that are not investigated via the classical n-back test
Summary
We need to encode and temporarily store features of objects in our surrounding environment. When we need to recall an object’s position, spatial and semantic binding to the surroundings aid this task [1]. Such processes are accomplished through working memory (WM), a cognitive system involved in the maintenance and sequential manipulation of incoming, task-relevant information. High-level cognitive processes such as reasoning, learning, problem-solving, language comprehension, and motor planning rely on WM [2,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
