Are Working Memory Measures Free of Socioeconomic Influence?

Autor/inn/en	Engel, Pascale Marguerite Josiane; Santos, Flavia Heloisa; Gathercole, Susan Elizabeth
Titel	Are Working Memory Measures Free of Socioeconomic Influence?
Quelle	In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51 (2008) 6, S.1580-1587 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1092-4388
DOI	10.1044/1092-4388(2008/07-0210)
Schlagwörter	Learning Problems; Low Income; Short Term Memory; Socioeconomic Influences; Socioeconomic Background; Language Aptitude; Nonverbal Ability; Low Income Groups; Cognitive Ability; Children; Performance; Vocabulary; Brazil + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lernproblem; Niedriglohn; Kurzzeitgedächtnis; Sozioökonomischer Faktor; Sozioökonomische Lage; Sprachbegabung; Spracheignung; Denkfähigkeit; Child; Kind; Kinder; Achievement; Leistung; Wortschatz; Brasilien
Abstract	Purpose: This study evaluated the impact of socioeconomic factors on children's performance on tests of working memory and vocabulary. Method: Twenty Brazilian children, aged 6 and 7 years, from low-income families, completed tests of working memory (verbal short-term memory and verbal complex span) and vocabulary (expressive and receptive). A further group of Brazilian children from families of higher socioeconomic status matched for age, gender, and nonverbal ability also participated in the study. Results: Children from the low socioeconomic group obtained significantly lower scores on measures of expressive and receptive vocabulary than their higher income peers but no significant group differences were found on the working memory measures. Conclusion: Measures of working memory provide assessments of cognitive abilities that appear to be impervious to substantial differences in socioeconomic background. As these measures are highly sensitive to language ability and learning in general, they appear to provide useful methods for diagnosing specific learning difficulties that are independent of environmental opportunity. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10