Visuo-Spatial Working Memory in Children and Adults

A study has been conducted to analyse the differences
in the mean scores in working memory model and
visuo-spatial sketchpad of children and adults. This
study is designed to investigate impact of the age on
the scores of working memory model and visuo-
spatial sketchpad.
The rationale of this study is to conduct a
developmental research that can analyse the
differences in the scores. The research of (Logie and
Pearson, 1997) includes the experiment which
explored the dissociation between visual and spatial
memory of children. Considering this, the present
study is justified to carry out as it is aimed to analyse
whether ability of children’s spatial and visual
memory is different from adults or not.
This study is based two hypothesis which are:
 The mean scores of children’s corsi span
(visual) are different than adults.
 The mean scores of children’s recall of
design (spatial) are different than adults.
The first model which is used in this study is working
memory model. This model is used to test the short-
term memory of a human and is based on the concept
of temporary storage capacity and the process for
manipulating the stored information. In this model,
the participants are given nine wooden blocks each
having a design sequence. These boxes have designs
and numbers, the numbers can be seen by the
investigator and the designs can be seen by the
participants.
The test is to identify and replicate the exact design
which investigator has shown the participant. The test
scores of this working memory model are recorded by
level of appropriateness that participants have shown
while replicating the design shown on the 9 wooden
blocks. The test results of such test are shown “Corsi
span”.
The second model that has been used in this study is
visuo-spatial memory. This test is conducted to test
the visual and spatial memory of the participants of
this study. This model includes eight designs which
participants has to recall.
The second p value is for recall of designs and
this p value is .520. As the p value > .05, it is
implied that the difference between in mean
scores of children and adults in recall of design
test is not significant.
Descriptive Statistics
Group Mean
corsi
span (2
correct)
Children 11.0167
Adult 18.5921
Total 15.2500
recall of
designs-
total raw
score
Children 14.1667
Adult 14.3947
Total 14.2941
The second test is the design recall test (spatial)
which is used to test the spatial memory of the
participants. In this test, each of the participant will
be provided with 8 items one by one having a
distinctive design. Each design item will be shown
for 5 seconds and then participants have to replicate
that design using the spatial for dimensional
memory. Each item will have 3 marks and by this
there will be maximum 24 marks for this test.
Both the test scores will be dependent variables
whereas, group of children and adults will be
independent. To test the impact of being an adult
and child on test scores will be tested using
Factorial ANOVA. The software application of
SPSS will be used in this process.
A study to test visuo-spatial working memory of children and adults
Introduction All these eight items are scored for accuracy using a
modified version of the British Ability Scales
scoring procedure. Higher the test scores in this test
model are, the higher the ability, participant has to
recall the designs. The test results of such test are
included as “recall of designs”. In this test, the
investigator shows a design to the participant for
just 5 seconds and the participant has to replicate
that design on a piece of paper by using the
temporary memory. This procedure is repeated for 8
times for each item.
Method
Participants: For this study, a total of 136
participants were recruited from the University. Out
of these 136 participants, 60 were children and 76
were adults. All these respondents were recruited by
using opportunity sample that has helped to
conducted an un biased research.
Materials: For this study, two models were used.
The first model is for working memory, in which 9
wooden blocks are used as materials. The second
model is the design recall model for which 8
different design items are used. Along with these
material, miscellaneous items such paper, pen and
other items are used as well.
Design: This study has two independent variables
which are “group” and “test”. The variable group
has two values which are children and adults;
second variable of test also has two values which
are visual and spatial. The dependent variables are
the test secured in two tests.
Procedure: All 137 participants were tested one by
one for each of the test. In the first test of corsi
block task (visual test), each participant was shown
nine wooden blocks each has a partial design. All
these 9 blocks together make a sequence, for every
correct block placed, participant can have 3 marks
and by this there are maximum of 27 (9 * 3) marks
in this test. The second test is the design recall test
(spatial) which is used to test the spatial memory of
the participants. In this test, each of the participant
will be provided with 8 items one by one having a
distinctive design.
Results
A Factorial ANOVA is conducted for the data set
and the results are attached below; there were
various supporting tables of the ANOVA results but
out of them only descriptive statistics and Tests of
Between-Subjects Effects table is used.
The table of descriptive statistics shows that the
mean scores secured by children in corsi span test
are 11.01 which are lower than the scores secured
by adults which are 18.59.
One the other hand, the marks secured by children
in recall of designs test were 14.16 which were
again lower than the scores of adults which were
14.39.
By observing the mean scores in descriptive
statistics, it is clear that there are differences
between the mean scores of children and adults but
whether these differences are statistically
significant or not, it will be tested by table of “Tests
of Between-Subjects Effects”.
The table of test effect shows the significance
values in “Group” row. By this, it can be seen that
the p value of corsi span is .000 which is lower than
.05 implying the differences between the mean
scores of corsi span of children and adults are
statically different.
Discussion
As the mean scores of children and adults are
statistically different in corsi span test, the
hypothesis 1 is accepted stating the mean scores
of children’s corsi span (visual) are different than
adults.
As the mean scores of children and adults are not
statistically different in recall of design test, the
hypothesis 2 is rejected stating the mean scores
of children’s recall of design (spatial) are
different than adults.
References
H. Logie, R. and Pearson, D.G., 1997. The inner
eye and the inner scribe of visuo-spatial working
memory: Evidence from developmental
fractionation. European Journal of cognitive
psychology. 9(3). pp.241-257.
Kwon, H., Reiss, A.L. and Menon, V., 2002.
Neural basis of protracted developmental
changes in visuo-spatial working memory.
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. 99(20). pp.13336-13341.