title: Developmental differences in working memory: Where do they come from?
abstract: Several models assume that working memory development depends on age-related increases in efficiency and speed of processing. However, age-related increases in the efficiency of the mechanisms that counteract forgetting and restore memory traces may also be important. This hypothesis was tested in three experiments by manipulating both the processing duration within a working memory task and the time available to restore memory traces. Third- and sixth-grade children performed a complex span task in which they maintained series of letters while adding numbers to series of digits. When we equated processing and restoration times between ages, the developmental difference in working memory span was reduced but remained significant. However, this residual difference was eliminated when the time available to reactivate memory traces was tailored to the processing speed of each age group. This indicates that children employ active mechanisms for maintenance and restoration of memory traces that develop with age.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education, Université de Genève, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland. vgaillar@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Vinciane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrouillet
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jarrold
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Camos
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time