Individual differences in visual and auditory memory capacity and the utilization of strategy to enhance working memory performance

Working memory (WM) is defined as a memory system responsible for providing temporary storage and processing of information necessary to perform cognitively demanding tasks. Different theories of WM vary in the degree to which strategy use, processing efficiency, and storage capacity account for individual differences in WM performance. Research has demonstrated that teaching WM management strategies can improve WM performance and improve processing efficiency. In the present study, it was hypothesized that providing WM management strategies that are consistent with individual memory capacity (visual or verbal) might improve performance on a WM task and be more indicative of higher cognitive abilities.; One hundred and forty-four participants completed measures of visual and verbal immediate memory, pre and post WM span tests, and a measure of reading comprehension. Between the administration of the WM span pretest and the WM span post-test, participants received either rehearsal (verbal) strategy instruction, imagery (visual) strategy instruction, or no strategy instruction. Regression analyses indicated that giving individuals either a rehearsal or imagery strategy improved WM performance compared to those who did not receive strategy instruction; however, providing a WM strategy that was consistent with the individual's memory capacity did not significantly improve WM performance or better enhance the prediction of higher order cognitive functioning. Verbal memory was found to be a consistent and strong predictor of WM performance on all of the WM measures, whereas visual memory was a weak predictor of WM performance. Finally, comparisons of processing speed and verbal memory storage over several measures of WM indicated that verbal storage capacity and processing speed account for unique and approximately equivalent amounts of the variance in verbal WM tasks.