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The relationship between working memory capacity and executive functioning: Evidence for a common executive attention construct
- Source :
- Neuropsychology. 24:222-243
- Publication Year :
- 2010
- Publisher :
- American Psychological Association (APA), 2010.
-
Abstract
- Attentional control has been conceptualized as executive functioning by neuropsychologists and as working memory capacity by experimental psychologists. We examined the relationship between these constructs using a factor analytic approach in an adult life span sample. Several tests of working memory capacity and executive function were administered to more than 200 subjects between 18 and 90 years of age, along with tests of processing speed and episodic memory. The correlation between working memory capacity and executive functioning constructs was very strong (r = .97), but correlations between these constructs and processing speed were considerably weaker (rs approximately .79). Controlling for working memory capacity and executive function eliminated age effects on episodic memory, and working memory capacity and executive function accounted for variance in episodic memory beyond that accounted for by processing speed. We conclude that tests of working memory capacity and executive function share a common underlying executive attention component that is strongly predictive of higher level cognition.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Adolescent
Statistics as Topic
Short-term memory
Models, Psychological
Neuropsychological Tests
Vocabulary
Article
Developmental psychology
Executive Function
Young Adult
Reaction Time
Executive attention
Humans
Attention
Episodic memory
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Models, Statistical
Working memory
Age Factors
Attentional control
Cognition
Middle Aged
Memory, Short-Term
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Hot cognition
Female
Psychology
Construct (philosophy)
Cognitive psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19311559 and 08944105
- Volume :
- 24
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Neuropsychology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....5c0355584e6bb86ef07acd2b7c9ea519