Development of Speed, Memory, and Fluid Reasoning in Children

Children's memory and higher-order cognitive abilities such as fluid reasoning improve with age, but the relationships between these abilities are not well understood. The developmental cascade model proposed by Fry and Hale: 1996) suggests that age related improvements in speed of processing are related to improvements in working memory, which in turn influence fluid reasoning. Recent research in adults suggests secondary memory is also an important predictor of fluid reasoning. The relations between working memory and fluid reasoning have been studied extensively in both adults and children. However, the relationships between working memory, secondary memory, and fluid reasoning have not been simultaneously examined in children. In this study 113 children: 6 to 12 years of age) completed a battery of cognitive tests including speed of processing, working memory, secondary memory, and fluid reasoning. Correlation, regression, and path analyses were used to better understand the relationships between working memory, secondary memory, and fluid reasoning. Results indicated that only working memory accounted for significant unique variance in predicting fluid reasoning in children. Secondary memory influenced fluid reasoning indirectly by mediating the relations between speed and working memory.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• De Alwis, Duneesha

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sandra Hale

• Developmental psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Psychology
• Children
• Fluid Reasoning
• Secondary memory
• Working memory

Language dc:language

English (en)

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7936/K7DB7ZXR

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-1566