Like the question about the chicken or the egg, it isn't clear if poor working memory is a symptom of ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disorders, or if the difficulties are signs of working memory problems.
Psychologist Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway and colleagues in the UK researched this issue in a study entitled "The Cognitive and Behavioral Characteristics of Children With Low Working Memory" published in the March/April 2009 issue of Child Development.
Working Memory
Working memory is the process that allows humans to hold information in memory while using it. What is read or heard must be translated into spoken sound, interpreted, acted upon or stored in long term memory. The amount of information that can be held in working memory at one time is limited and varies from person to person.
Many studies demonstrate that poor working memory is a common characteristic of learning and behavioral disorders such as ADHD and dyslexia. Little research has explored whether working memory difficulties lead to developing learning and behavioral disorders. If so, then identifying and assisting children with poor working memory early in life is important. It may prevent some of those children from developing learning and behavioral problems while helping them learn skills to improve or adapt to their memory difficulties.
Innovative Research
According to the authors, their study is the first to attempt to identify specific attributes of poor working memory. One of the unique features of the study is that it included only children who were identified as having low working memory. The study screened more than 3,000 children of whom 308 were found to have low working memory and chosen to participate.
The study had four primary objectives:
- to determine if the working memory deficits were linked to visuospatial memory.
- to explore the degree to which low working memory is related to children having difficulty in major subjects, including reading and math.
- to study the behavior of children with low working memory to see if this might be linked to poor concentration and being inattentive in class
- to evaluate possible relationship between poor working memory and self-esteem.
For the study each child took the Automated Working Memory Assessment (developed by Dr. Alloway and published in 2007). They were also evaluated for their learning abilities, general ability, and behavior.
Common traits of Low Working Memory
The research results indicate that kids with low working memory share some of the following attributes:
- typically perform below their age level.
- do not progress as quickly as their peers and often have difficulty with reading and mathematics
- tend to be poor at finding novel approaches to problem solving.
- behavioral problems – Teachers were more likely to judge kids with low working memory as being distractible, inattentive, and having poor attention spans.
Preventing Failure in the Classroom
The authors note a pattern in which kids with poor working memory, yet normal intelligence and ability, may be overwhelmed when classroom tasks are not structured to their abilities. They write, "The unfolding route to task failure – in which the children typically started an activity and then either began to make errors or abandoned the task – is consistent with the loss of crucial task information from working memory due to overload."
The study demonstrates that children with low working memory do share common traits. The results highlight the importance of evaluating children and addressing working memory problems as soon as they are recognized.
Dr. Alloway is director of the Centre for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan at Stirling University, Stirling, Scotland. She is also a recipient of the Joseph Lister Award from the British Science Association for making scientific information available to the public.
Source:
Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Kirkwood, H., and Elliott, J. "The Cognitive and Behavioral Characteristics of Children With Low Working Memory". Child Development. March/April 2009, v 80 no 2; pp 606-621.
Resources:
Gathercole, Susan E., and Alloway, T. P. Working Memory and Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers. London: Sage Publications, 2008.
University of Stirling. Centre for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan (accessed December 30, 2009).
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Zoe Langley - Zoe Langley is a writer living in Kentucky. She is a past winner of the Seattle Writers in Performance Award. She has a passionate ...
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