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Developmental differences in the span of visual memory for pattern
Author(s) -
Wilson J. T. Lindsay,
Scott Jane H.,
Power Kevin G.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-835x.1987.tb01060.x
Subject(s) - psychology , span (engineering) , memory span , task (project management) , short term memory , life span , visual short term memory , developmental psychology , interval (graph theory) , visual memory , cognitive psychology , cognition , working memory , neuroscience , mathematics , gerontology , medicine , civil engineering , management , engineering , economics , combinatorics
A procedure is described which gives a measure of memory span for patterns. Results are presented from a study of four age groups: 5+, 7+, 11+, and adults. Pattern span increases rapidly between the ages of 5 and 11, by which time it is at the adult level. Span is decreased by an interpolated interfering task, and there is memory decay over a 10 second unfilled interval. The results are interpreted as evidence for a system for representing patterns which is shared by short‐ and long‐term visual memory, but which is distinct from systems for verbal representation.