Dietmar Grube

Does music training enhance working memory performance? Findings from a quasi-experimental longitudinal study

Instrumental music training has been shown to enhance cognitive processing beyond general intelligence. We examined this assumption with regard to working memory performance in primary school-aged children (N = 50; 7–8 years of age) within a longitudinal study design. Half of the children participated in an extended music education program with 45 minutes of weekly instrumental music training, while the other half received extended natural science training. Each child completed a computerized test battery three times over a period of 18 months. The battery included seven subtests, which address the central executive, the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad components of Baddeley’s working memory model. Socio-economic background and basic cognitive functions were assessed for each participant and used as covariates in subsequent analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Significant group by time interactions were found for phonological loop and central executive subtests, indicating a superior developmental course in children with music training compared to the control group. These results confirm previous findings concerning music training and cognitive performance. It is suggested that children receiving music training benefit specifically in those aspects of cognitive functioning that are strongly related to auditory information processing.

Arbeitsgedächtnisdefizite bei Kindern mit schwachen Rechen- und Schriftsprachleistungen

Zusammenfassung. Vor dem Hintergrund des Arbeitsgedachtnismodells von Baddeley (1986) wurde uberpruft, ob Kinder mit Schulleistungsschwachen Leistungsdefizite in zentralexekutiven, phonologischen und visuell-raumlichen Arbeitsgedachtnisfunktionen aufzeigen. Aus einer Stichprobe von 232 Drittklasslern wurden 69 Kinder identifiziert, die sich auf die vier Felder eines zweifaktoriellen Designs (Rechenleistung: schwach vs. unauffallig; Schriftsprachleistungen: schwach vs. unauffallig) verteilen. Um schwache Leistungen aufgrund von Intelligenzminderleistungen aus den Analysen herauszunehmen, wurden nur Kinder mit einem IQ groser 90 berucksichtigt. Die Kinder bearbeiteten in Einzelversuchen eine umfangreiche Testbatterie zur Erfassung der drei Subkomponenten des Arbeitsgedachtnisses. Es zeigte sich, dass Kinder mit Minderleistungen im Rechnen nur in der phonologischen Schleife Defizite aufweisen. Dagegen wurden bei Kindern mit schwachen Schriftsprachleistungen sowohl phonologische als auch zentralexekutive Defi...

The Development of Experimentation and Evidence Evaluation Skills at Preschool Age

Researchers taking a domain-general approach to the development of scientific reasoning long thought that the ability to engage in scientific reasoning did not develop until adolescence. However, more recent studies have shown that preschool children already have a basic ability to evaluate evidence and a basic understanding of experimentation. Data providing insights into when exactly in the preschool years significant gains in these abilities occur are scarce. Drawing on a sample of 138 preschool children, this longitudinal study therefore examined how childrens ability to evaluate evidence and their understanding of experimentation develop between the ages of four and six. Findings showed that the ability to evaluate evidence was already well developed at age four and increased steadily and significantly over time as long as the pattern of covariation was perfect. In the case of imperfect covariation, the proportion of correct answers was low over the period of observation, but showed a significant increase between the ages of four and five. If the data did not allow relationship between variables to be inferred, the proportion of correct answers was low, with a significant increase between the ages of five and six. The childrens understanding of experimentation increased significantly between the ages of five and six. The implications of these findings for age-appropriate science programs in preschool are discussed.

The phonological similarity effect on memory span in children: Does it depend on age, speech rate, and articulatory suppression?

The present paper addresses issues surrounding the role of rehearsal and developmental increases in rehearsal speed regarding the phonological similarity effect (PSE) on immediate serial recall performance. In two experiments, school-aged children had to recall serially phonological similar and dissimilar words with or without concurrent articulation. Speech rate of the word material was also assessed. The size of the PSE was found to be independent of both age and speech rate. Furthermore, the size of the PSE was lower under articulatory suppression as compared to a standard condition without suppression. These results are consistent with the view that the PSE emerges because confusion during redintegration of degrading short-term codes is more likely for phonological similar items than for phonological distinct items. The occurrence of the PSE seems to be independent of rehearsal although articulatory suppression can moderate the size of the PSE. The parts of the redintegration mechanism that are responsible for the PSE seem to be age-invariant between 7 and 13 years.

Prior knowledge in recalling arguments in bioethical dilemmas

Prior knowledge is known to facilitate learning new information. Normally in studies confirming this outcome the relationship between prior knowledge and the topic to be learned is obvious: the information to be acquired is part of the domain or topic to which the prior knowledge belongs. This raises the question as to whether prior knowledge of various domains facilitates recalling information. In this study 79 eleventh-grade students completed a questionnaire on their prior knowledge of seven different domains related to the bioethical dilemma of prenatal diagnostics. The students read a text containing arguments for and arguments against prenatal diagnostics. After 1 week and again 12 weeks later they were asked to write down all the arguments they remembered. Prior knowledge helped them recall the arguments 1 week (r = 0.350) and 12 weeks (r = 0.316) later. Prior knowledge of three of the seven domains significantly helped them recall the arguments 1 week later (correlations between r = 0.194 and 0.394). Partial correlations with interest as a control item revealed that interest did not explain the relationship between prior knowledge and recall. Prior knowledge of different domains jointly supports the recall of arguments related to bioethical topics.

Konsequenzen von Leistungsgruppierungen für die Entwicklungsverläufe des allgemeinen und fachspezifischen Fähigkeitsselbstkonzepts nach dem Übergang in die Sekundarstufe

Zusammenfassung: In einer Langsschnittstudie* wird untersucht, ob die Zuordnung zu verschiedenen Schul- und Klassentypen (Gesamtschule, Standardklassen des Gymnasiums sowie mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche und bilinguale Schwerpunktklasse) gymnasialempfohlener Schuler nach dem Ubergang in die Sekundarstufe I unterschiedliche Entwicklungsverlaufe des allgemeinen Fahigkeitsselbstkonzepts sowie der fachspezifischen Selbstkonzepte in Mathematik und Deutsch nach sich zieht. Im ersten Halbjahr nach dem Schulwechsel nahmen 139 Funftklassler eines Gymnasiums mit drei Standard- sowie zwei Schwerpunktklassen und 99 gymnasialempfohlene Funftklassler einer Integrierten Gesamtschule an der Untersuchung teil. Analysen uber funf Messzeitpunkte fur das allgemeine und uber drei Messzeitpunkte fur das fachspezifische Selbstkonzept legen nahe, dass es in den leistungsstarken Schwerpunktklassen auf der Ebene des allgemeinen Selbstkonzepts, nicht jedoch der fachspezifischen Selbstkonzepte in Mathematik und Deutsch, zu einem Absinken des Selbstkonzepts kommt.

The Relevance of Prior Content Knowledge Regarding Bioethical Dilemmas: Religious Education in Dialogue with Empirical Studies of Educational Psychology

In religious education classes bioethical topics are part of the curriculum. Research on religious education mostly reflects on bioethical topics theoretically. From the perspective of educational psychology, this article concentrates on one of the most important prerequisites for learning — prior knowledge. It combines prior knowledge with learning through argumentation and considers its relevance for learning bioethical topics. Finally an overview over four studies on prior knowledge in bioethical discussions is presented and the results discussed.

Development of Working Memory from Grade 3 to 5: Differences between Children With and Without Mathematical Learning Difficulties

ABSTRACT Based on the finding that children with mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) have deficits in working memory (WM), the question arises as to whether these children differ from typical learners only in the level or also in the developmental trajectories of WM functioning. To this end, the WM of 80 children with MLD and 71 typical learners was assessed longitudinally from third to fifth grade. Typical learners outperformed children with MLD in the phonological, visuospatial and central executive WM functioning in third grade. Latent change analyses indicated that both phonological and central executive WM functioning developed in a parallel pattern in children with MLD and in typical learners. In contrast, visuospatial WM functioning revealed a different development in children with and without MLD since the gap between both groups decreased over time. Overall, despite starting at a lower level, the WM functioning in children with MLD did not develop more slowly.

Academic self-concept and causal attributions for success and failure amongst elementary school children

ABSTRACT A great deal of research shows that the way in which children attribute causes to their successes and failures in school has implications for the development of their academic self-concept (ASC). The most common attributions are ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck. The present study asked 68 elementary school children aged seven to eight years how they explained their successes and failures in school subjects. The aim of the study was to examine whether there were gender differences in the children’s responses which might indicate differences in ASCs or in their explanations for the causes of success or failure. Data were collected via quantitative questionnaires. Results showed no gender differences in ASC but, within the group, boys were more likely to attribute their success to high ability; on the other hand girls were more likely to attribute their failures to low ability or the difficulty level of task. This suggests that boys are more likely than girls to provide positive, self-enhancing reasons for their success while girls are more likely than boys to provide negative, self-deprecating reasons for their failures.

Entwicklung des phonologischen Arbeitsgedächtnisses

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Untersuchung zur Entwicklung des Effekts der phonologischen Ahnlichkeit gibt Aufschluss uber die Abhangigkeit des Ahnlichkeitseffekts von Rehearsal und Lexikalitat. Funf- und neunjahrige Kinder reproduzierten Serien von klangahnlichen und klangunahnlichen Wortern bzw. Kunstwortern unter Standardbedingungen und unter der Bedingung artikulatorischer Unterdruckung. Der Ahnlichkeitseffekt auf die Gedachtnisspanne zeigte sich in beiden Altersgruppen gleichermasen ausgepragt und reduzierte sich nicht unter der Bedingung artikulatorischer Unterdruckung. Der Ahnlichkeitseffekt fiel fur Kunstworter groser aus als fur Worter. Die Befunde deuten darauf hin, dass der phonologische Ahnlichkeitseffekt nicht auf die Nutzung von Rehearsal, sondern auf Verwechslungen bei der Rekonstruktion zerfallender Spuren im Arbeitsgedachtnis zuruckgeht.