Sebastian and Hernandez-Gil (2012)
Aims:
- To examine the capacity of the phonological loop and the development of
digit/memory span is the Spanish population.
- To check if language differences and word length affects the generalisation of other
studies’ results.
- To investigate whether digit span declines with age.
Sample:
570 voluntary participants (5-17 years olds). All born in Spain and from different schools.
They were checked for hearing/learning impairments, and none had any. Also 25 healthy
older participants were used as a control alongside 25 Alzheimer patients and 9
frontotemporal dementia patients.
Method:
Three sequences of 3 digits were read out loud by the experimenter at a rate of one per
second. Participants had to listen carefully and recall them in the correct order. This was
repeated three times and then additional digit was added. The digit span was measured as
the maximum length at which participants recalled at least 2 out of 3 series with no errors.
This data was compared with secondary data of the healthy and patients with dementia.
Results:
- Children (5) had a very low digit span (3.76).
- Digit span is in general lower that found in English studies due to the word length
effect.
- The elderly had a higher digit span than 5 year olds but it didn’t differ much from
other year groups.
- Frontotemporal patients’’ digit span was similar to the youngest group (5-6).
- Alzheimer’s patients’ digit span was higher than 5 year olds but didn’t differ much
from other year groups.
Conclusion:
- The study’s findings suggest that until 7-8 the subvocal rehearsal is not yet present.
- The capacity of the phonological loop is affected by age and not so much by
dementias.
- Digit span increases from childhood to adolescence and it continues to expand until
at least 17 in a Spanish population.
- Digit span starts to plateau around 11 years old.
Aims:
- To examine the capacity of the phonological loop and the development of
digit/memory span is the Spanish population.
- To check if language differences and word length affects the generalisation of other
studies’ results.
- To investigate whether digit span declines with age.
Sample:
570 voluntary participants (5-17 years olds). All born in Spain and from different schools.
They were checked for hearing/learning impairments, and none had any. Also 25 healthy
older participants were used as a control alongside 25 Alzheimer patients and 9
frontotemporal dementia patients.
Method:
Three sequences of 3 digits were read out loud by the experimenter at a rate of one per
second. Participants had to listen carefully and recall them in the correct order. This was
repeated three times and then additional digit was added. The digit span was measured as
the maximum length at which participants recalled at least 2 out of 3 series with no errors.
This data was compared with secondary data of the healthy and patients with dementia.
Results:
- Children (5) had a very low digit span (3.76).
- Digit span is in general lower that found in English studies due to the word length
effect.
- The elderly had a higher digit span than 5 year olds but it didn’t differ much from
other year groups.
- Frontotemporal patients’’ digit span was similar to the youngest group (5-6).
- Alzheimer’s patients’ digit span was higher than 5 year olds but didn’t differ much
from other year groups.
Conclusion:
- The study’s findings suggest that until 7-8 the subvocal rehearsal is not yet present.
- The capacity of the phonological loop is affected by age and not so much by
dementias.
- Digit span increases from childhood to adolescence and it continues to expand until
at least 17 in a Spanish population.
- Digit span starts to plateau around 11 years old.
