Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2010 The development of primary and secondary memory and their relationship to fluid intelligence Sharon Diane Eaves Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Eaves, Sharon Diane, "The development of primary and secondary memory and their relationship to fluid intelligence" (2010). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2322. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2322 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MEMORY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO FLUID INTELLIGENCE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Psychology by Sharon Diane Eaves B.A., University of Texas at Arlington, 2004 M.A., Louisiana State University, 2006 December 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation and all of the previous work done toward this goal would not have been possible without the support of several individuals. First of all, my advisor and friend, Dr. Emily Elliott has always been inspiring and encouraging. She has supported me and taught me so much about working memory, teaching, life, and so much more. I would also like to thank my husband, Caleb Eaves, for his endless support during my general exams and this dissertation. He was always willing to help me in every way possible, even when it was uncomfortable or difficult for him. I would like to thank Dr. Katie Cherry, Dr. Jason Hicks, and Dr. Janet McDonald for the education I have received from each one of them as well as their support and patience with me throughout this journey. I would also like to thank my mother, who has always believed in me and supported me in every way that she could. I would like to dedicate this study to my daughter, Jade. She has been my reason for striving to go far beyond what anyone could have ever expected from me. There are so many others that have touched my life in amazing ways and helped me to continue towards my goals even when times became difficult: Dr. Paul Paulus, Dr. Cindy Atha-Weldon, Dr. Joan Reinhardt, Dr. Jill Shelton, and Alicia Briganti. “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:3-6 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………….ii List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………..v List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………………….vii Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………...ix Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….....1 The Evolution of Working Memory…..…………………………………………………..4 Historical Antecedents of Primary and Secondary Memory………………………….…..8 The Developmental Study of Primary and Secondary Memory…..……………………..12 Measuring Primary and Secondary Memory in Children………...……………………...16 Theoretical Benefits of the Current Methodology……………………………………….23 Factors Influencing the Development of Primary and Secondary Memory……………..24 Summary...……………………………………………………………………………….27 Method……… …………………………………………………………………………………..28 Participants………………………………………………………………………………28 Materials………… ……………………………………………………………………...29 Procedure…... …………………………………………………………………………...32 Results ……………………………………………………………………………….…………..34 Descriptive Statistics……………………………………………………………………..35 Probability of Correct Serial Recall………………………………………………….......39 Correlations Between Proportion-Correct for List Length Condition and Fluid Intelligence……………………………………………………………………………….45 Scope of Attention……………………………………………………………………….52 Multiple Regression Analyses…………………………………………………………...54 Differences in Findings Based on Scoring Differences…………………………………66 Discussion ……….………………………………………………………………………………71 Assumptions and Development of Primary and Secondary Memory…………..………..71 Conceptual Replication of Unsworth and Engle (2006).……….……………………..…74 Methodological Comparisons.…………………………………………………………...79 Do Children Use Primary and Secondary Memory Like Adults?………………...….….82 The Measurement and Analysis of Primary and Secondary Memory…………………...82 Future Directions and Conclusions………………………………………………………84 References …………………………………………………………………………………….....86 Appendix A: List of Words Used in Word Span Task.………...………………………………..92 Appendix B: Picture Stimuli Used in the Counting Span Task….………………………………93 iii Appendix C: List of Sentences Used in the Listening Span Task.………………………………96 Appendix D: Means and Standard Deviations for all of the Tasks and Measurement Techniques……………………………………………………………………………………….98 Appendix E: Reliability Scores.………………………………………………………………..102 Vita …………………………………………………………………………………………….105 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. Means, Standard deviations, and Correlations for the composite list length conditions, composite scope of attention, and composite fluid intelligence for the adult group…….36 2. Means, Standard deviations, and Correlations for the composite list length conditions, composite scope of attention, and composite fluid intelligence for the 8-9 year-old group ….……………………………………………………………………………...….37 3. Means, Standard deviations, and Correlations for the composite list length conditions, composite scope of attention, and composite fluid intelligence for the 10-11 year-old group…………………………………………………………………………..…...…….37 4. The Average Primary Memory, Secondary Memory, Short-term Memory and Working Memory Capacities for each age group…………………………………………..……...39 5. The Correlations for Age, Short-term Memory List Length Conditions, Working Memory List Length Conditions, Fluid Intelligence, and Scope of Attention.……………………54 6. Simultaneous Regression for the Entire Sample with Fluid Intelligence as the Criterion Variable………………………………………………………………………………..…55 7. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis Predicting Intelligence for the Adult Group…...57 8. The R² Values produced from Variance-Partitioning Regression Analyses Predicting Intelligence in the Adult Group………………………………………………………….57 9. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis with the Scope of Attention Factor Predicting Intelligence for the Adult Group…………………………………………………………60 10. The R² Values produced from Variance-Partitioning Regression Analyses with the Scope of Attention Predicting Intelligence in the Adult Group………………………………...60 11. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis Predicting Intelligence for the 8-9 Year-old Group…………………………………………………………………………………….61 12. The R² Values produced from Variance-Partitioning Regression Analyses Predicting Intelligence in the 8-9 Year-old Group…………..……………………………………...62 13. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis with the Scope of Attention Factor Predicting Intelligence for the 8-9 Year-old Group…………………………………………………64 14. The R² Values produced from Variance-Partitioning Regression Analyses with the Scope of Attention Predicting Intelligence in the 8-9 Year-old Group……………………...….64 15. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis Predicting Intelligence for the 10-11 Year-old Group……………………………………………………………………………………66 v 16. The Simultaneous Regression Analysis with the Scope of Attention Factor Predicting Intelligence for the 10-11 Year-old Group………………………………………………66 17. Correlations between different methods of scoring memory tasks and fluid intelligence.........................................................................................................................69 vi LIST OF FIGURES 1. The accuracy in proportion correct for each list length condition in working memory and short-term memory tasks for each of the three age groups………………………………………41 2. The accuracy in proportion correct for each list length condition in working memory and short-term memory tasks for the adult group………………………………..…………………..42 3. The accuracy in proportion correct for the long list lengths in the working memory and short- term memory tasks for the adult group…………………………………………………………..43 4. The accuracy in proportion correct for each list length condition in working memory and short-term memory tasks for the 8-9 year-old group……..……………………………..……….44 5. The accuracy in proportion correct for the long list lengths in the working memory and short- term memory tasks for the 8-9 year-old group…….……………………...……………………..46 6. The accuracy in proportion correct for each list length condition in working memory and short-term memory tasks for the 10-11 year-old group……..………………………………..….46 7. The accuracy in proportion correct for the long list lengths in the working memory and short- term memory tasks for the 10-11 year-old group…….…………………………………...……..47 8. Correlations between proportion-correct for short-term memory list length conditions and fluid intelligence for the adult group...………………………………………………………………...49 9. Correlations between proportion-correct for working memory list length conditions and fluid intelligence for the adult group……...…………………………………………………………...49 10. Correlations between proportion-correct for short-term memory