Abstract
In this study, we examine the relation between reading comprehension ability and success in working memory updating tasks. Groups of poor and good comprehenders, matched for logical reasoning ability, but different in reading comprehension ability, were administered various updating tasks in a series of experiments. In the first experiment, the participants were presented with lists of words, the length of which (4–10 words) was unknown beforehand, and were required to remember the last 4 words in each series. In this task, we found a decrease in performance that was related to longer series and poor reading ability. In the second experiment, we presented lists of nouns referring to items of different sizes, in a task that simulated the selection and updating of relevant information that occurs in the on-line comprehension process. The participants were required to remember a limited, predefined number of the smallest items presented. We found that poor comprehenders not only had a poorer memory, but also made a greater number of intrusion errors. In the third and fourth experiments, memory load (number of items to be selected) and suppression request (number of potentially relevant items) were manipulated within subjects. Increases in both memory load and suppression requests impaired performance. Furthermore, we found that poor comprehenders produced a greater number of intrusion errors, particularly when the suppression request was increased. Finally, in a fifth experiment, a request to specify the size of presented items was introduced. Poor comprehenders were able to select the appropriate items, although their recall was poorer. Altogether, the data show that working memory abilities, based on selecting and updating relevant information and avoiding intrusion errors, are related to reading comprehension.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anastasi, A. (1988).Psychological testing (6th ed.). New York: Macmillan.
Baddeley, A.D. (1986).Working memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Baddeley, A. D. (1990).Human memory: Theory and practice. Hove, U.K.: Erlbaum.
Barnes, J. M., &Underwood, B. J. (1959). “Fate” of first-list associations in transfer theory.Journal of Experimental Psychology,58, 97–105.
Brown, A. L., Armbruster, B. B., &Baker, L. (1986). The role of metacognition in reading and studying. In J. Orasanu (Ed.),Reading comprehension: From research to practice (pp. 49–75). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Clark, H. H., &Sengul, C. J. (1979). In search of referents for nouns and pronouns.Memory & Cognition,7, 35–41.
Conway, A. R. A., Tuholski, S. W., Shisler, R. J., &Engle, R. W. (1999). The effect of memory load on negative priming: An individual differences investigation.Memory & Cognition,27, 1042–1050.
Cornoldi, C. (1974). Imagery values for 310 Italian nouns.Italian Journal of Psychology,1, 211–225.
Cornoldi, C., &Oakhill, J. (1991).Reading comprehension difficulties: Processes and interventions. Hove, U.K.: Erlbaum.
Cornoldi, C., Rizzo, A., &Pra Baldi, A. (1991).Prove avanzate MT di comprensione nella lettura [Advanced MT reading comprehension tests]. Florence: Organizzazioni Speciali.
Daneman, M., &Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behaviour,19, 450–466.
Daneman, M., &Carpenter, P. A. (1983). Individual differences in integrating information between and within sentences.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,9, 561–584.
Daneman, M., &Merikle, P. M. (1996). Working memory and language comprehension: A meta-analysis.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review,3, 422–433.
De Beni, R., & Palladino, P. (2001).Decay in working memory performances with aging: Intrusion errors analyses. Manuscript submitted for publication.
De Beni, R., Palladino, P., Pazzaglia, F., &Cornoldi, C. (1998). Increases in intrusion errors and working memory deficit of poor comprehenders.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,51A, 305–320.
de Vega, M. (1995). Backward updating of mental models during continuous reading of narratives.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,21, 373–385.
Ehrlich, K., &Rayner, K. (1983). Pronoun assignment and semantic integration during reading: Eye movements and immediacy of processing.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior,22, 75–87.
Engle, R. W., Cantor, J., &Carullo, J. J. (1992). Individual differences in working memory and comprehension: A test of four hypotheses.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,18, 972–992.
Garner, R. (1987).Metacognition and reading comprehension. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Gernsbacher, M. A. (1990).Language comprehension as structure building. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Gernsbacher, M. A., Varner, K. R., &Faust, M. E. (1990). Investigating differences in general comprehension skill.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,16, 430–445.
Glenberg, A. M., &Langston, W. E. (1992). Comprehension of illustrated text: Pictures help to build mental models.Journal of Memory & Language,31, 129–151.
May, C. P., Hasher, L., &Kane, M. J. (1999). The role of interference in memory span.Memory & Cognition,27, 759–767.
McKoon, G., &Ratcliff, R. (1992). Inferences during reading.Psychological Review,99, 440–466.
Morris, N., &Jones, D. M. (1990). Memory updating in working memory: The role of central executive.British Journal of Psychology,81, 111–121.
Morrow, D. G., Bower, G. H., &Greenspan, S. L. (1989). Updating situation models during comprehension.Journal of Memory & Language,13, 441–469.
Orsini, A., &Laicardi, C. (1997). WAIS-R:Contributo alla taratura italiana [A contribution to Italian standardization]. Florence: Organizzazioni Speciali.
Passolunghi, M.C., Cornoldi, C., &De Liberto, S. (1999). Working memory and intrusions of irrelevant information in a group of specific poor problem solvers.Memory & Cognition,27, 779–790.
Pollack, I., Johnson, L., &Knaft, P. (1959). Running memory span.Journal of Experimental Psychology,57, 137–146.
Robertson, R. R. W., & Gernsbacher, M. A. (1996, May).Suppression during narrative comprehension. Paper presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago.
Van der Linden, M., Bredart, S., &Beerten, A. (1994). Age-related differences in updating working memory.British Journal of Psychology,85, 145–152.
van Dijk, T. A., &Kintsch, W. (1983).Strategies of discourse comprehension. New York: Academic Press.
Wechsler, D. (1987).Manual for Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The present research was partially supported by CNR grants and MURST-40% grants to the second and third authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Palladino, P., Cornoldi, C., De Beni, R. et al. Working memory and updating processes in reading comprehension. Memory & Cognition 29, 344–354 (2001). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194929
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194929