| The present study assessed working memory ability and listening comprehension development in three, four, and five year-old preschool children. Working memory span levels were measured by a pilot measure, the Working Memory Listening Span Test (WMLST) and an existing measure, Daneman and Blennerhassett's (1984) Listening Span Test (LST). Two forms of the WMLST, the Purposive and the Automatic, were developed to vary processing demands. Theoretical foundation for this comparison was derived from Baddeley and Hitch's (1974) model of working memory and from Anderson's (1983) theory of automatic activation. In addition, item identification speed, speech rate and speed of semantic access factors were examined as potential speed of information processing correlates of working memory performance. Working memory performance was further analyzed in relation to verbal and reading readiness abilities. Although all working memory measures were statistically equivalent in yielding a span level of approximately two, verbal ability and item identification speed predicted WMLST/Purposive performance, while short-term memory accounted for variability on the WMLST/Automatic and LST measures. Contrary to expectation, the LST was more highly associated with listening comprehension and reading readiness ability than was the WMLST/Purposive measure. Age differences were obtained on all cognitive measures except for speed of information processing tasks. Findings were discussed in relation to construct validity, directions for future research, and implications for educational practice. |
