Phonological span in children and adults: Does response format matter?

Abstract

In contrast to classical phonological span tasks, which require verbal recall, those used in self-reliant, group-administrable working memory measurement contain a visuospatial response format. As a consequence, these tasks involve recoding, executive, and visual search requirements in addition to encoding and storage processes. To examine age-dependent effects of these special requirements, tablet-based word and digit span tasks with a visuospatial response format were compared to corresponding tasks with a verbal response format in first and second graders, third and fourth graders, and adults (N = 105). Whereas children’s performance was impaired by the visuospatial response format, adults’ performance was not. Whether the arrangement of stimuli in the visuospatial response format—either variable or fixed—has differential effects on performance in children and adults (N = 434) was examined in a second experiment. No substantial differences between variable and fixed response format were found in any of the age groups. Possible underlying mechanisms for age-dependent effects of response format and the role of executive functions and visual search in automatized phonological span tasks are discussed.