H - 41 Examining Cross-Phasic Mechanisms of Verbal Working Memory Capacity Consumption in Monolingual Spanish-Speakers of Latin American Descent.

Abstract

Cross-linguistic evidence suggests that the word length effect (WLE; rate of syllables, phonemes, or pronunciation times per word) significantly contributes to capacity estimates in the storage, but not manipulation, phase of verbal working memory (WM). However, the role of the WLE on WM limits across these phases has not been reported in monolingual Spanish-speakers. Latin American-born, monolingual Spanish-speakers (N = 84) age 18-65 were administered forward and backward directions of the digit span test across three cognitive load conditions of Spanish syllabic word length: Mexican WAIS-IV Digit Span ("Standard Load"), and two modified measures with relative ~20% decrease ("Low Load") or ~ 20% increase ("High Load") in total syllables/digit. A reverse WLE was observed during storage WM (digit span forward), where Spanish-speakers attained higher capacity estimates (p < 0.01) in High Load relative to Low Load syllabic word length. The WLE was detected during manipulation WM (digit span backward), where lower capacity limits (p < 0.001) were observed in the High Load, compared to Standard Load, condition. Unexpectedly, high loads did not yield a WLE in the storage phase, but evidence of the WLE was present in the manipulation phase. Executive-function mnemonic strategies (chunking) may have superseded the role of a WLE on storage memory, whereas a traditional WLE was observed when chunking strategies were more difficult to implement during manipulation memory. These findings aim to reduce cultural disparities in estimates of WM performance in neurocognitive and neuropsychological research with Hispanics.