title: On the interpretation of working memory span in adults.
abstract: Experimental research into children's working memory span has shown that retention duration contributes substantially to span performance, while processing efficiency need not be related to concurrent memory load (Towse, Hitch, & Hutton, 1998). These findings have been used to argue for a model of working memory span that emphasizes time-based forgetting rather than the popular resource-sharing or tradeoff framework. The present paper considers whether adults perform working memory span tasks in a qualitatively different way. Data from reading span and operation span tasks show that adults' performance can be distinguished from that of children, but also that a task-switching model of working memory span can explain some important aspects of performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of London, Egham, Surrey, U.K. j.towse@rhbnc.ac.uk
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Towse
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hitch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hutton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving