Which Components of Working Memory Are Important in the Writing Process?

This study investigated the relationship between components of working memory (WM) and the macrostructure (e.g., planning, writing, and revision) and microstructure (e.g., grammar, punctuation) of writing. A battery of WM and writing measures were administered to 160 high-school students. Overall, hierarchical regression analyses showed that the central executive component of WM significantly predicted planning, writing, and revision as well the majority of microstructure measures. The results further validate the importance of WM in the writing process, but indicate that writing process is more intricately tied to the controlled attention component of WM when compared to storage of information.