title: Does greater phonological storage capacity correlate with levels of intentionality and theory of mind?
abstract: Greater phonological storage capacity may be associated with levels of intentionality, and therefore by assumption, Theory of Mind. The participants were 34 high school students in the Midwest (15 girls, 19 boys; age range= 15 to 17 years). The measures were digits forward and digits backward from the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and a measure purporting to assess Theory of Mind and Levels of Intentionality (Kinderman, Dunbar, & Bentall, 1998). There was found to be a weak nonsignificant correlation between digits forward and Levels of Intentionality, and a moderate and significant correlation between digits backward and Levels of Intentionality. The latter correlation was significantly larger. The digits backward test requires not only greater phonological storage capacity but also appears to tap working memory resources. Findings suggest that greater phonological storage capacity is associated with higher intentionality, and by implication, perhaps more elaborate Theory of Mind, but only when the phonological task requires working memory functions.
authors.affiliation: Coronado High School, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. twynn@uccs.edu
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: Frederick L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Coolidge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012193:Reversal Learning; D012691:Serial Learning; D013067:Speech Perception; D014888:Wechsler Scales