How are visuospatial working memory, executive functioning, and spatial abilities related? A latent-variable analysis.

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among visuospatial working memory (WM) executive functioning, and spatial abilities. One hundred sixty-seven participants performed visuospatial short-term memory (STM) and WM span tasks, executive functioning tasks, and a set of paper-and-pencil tests of spatial abilities that load on 3 correlated but distinguishable factors (Spatial Visualization, Spatial Relations, and Perceptual Speed). Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that, in the visuospatial domain, processing-and-storage WM tasks and storage-oriented STM tasks equally implicate executive functioning and are not clearly distinguishable. These results provide a contrast with existing evidence from the verbal domain and support the proposal that the visuospatial sketchpad may be closely tied to the central executive. Further, structural equation modeling results supported the prediction that, whereas they all implicate some degree of visuospatial storage, the 3 spatial ability factors differ in the degree of executive involvement (highest for Spatial Visualization and lowest for Perceptual Speed). Such results highlight the usefulness of a WM perspective in characterizing the nature of cognitive abilities and, more generally, human intelligence.

The Generality of Working Memory Capacity: A Latent-Variable Approach to Verbal and Visuospatial Memory Span and Reasoning.

“…Whereas verbal storage-rehearsal processes were correlated strongly with verbal reasoning and very weakly with general ability (see also Cantor et al, 1991;, spatial storage-rehearsal processes predicted both spatial reasoning and general fluid ability strongly. As we noted earlier, these findings are consistent with others demonstrating a close link between "simple" spatial storage and higher order cognitive capabilities such as executive function (Miyake et al, 2001), complex reasoning and Gf (Oberauer, in press;Shah & Miyake, 1996), and free recall of either verbal or visuospatial materials (Park et al, 2002). However, we also found that when our Gf factor was defined in a less spatially biased manner, spatial storage had a substantially weaker correlation with it.…”

“…However, these spatial STM and WM tasks did not always account for the same variance in these complex cognitive measures. In the Miyake et al (2001) study, a latent-variable model with a single spatial WM-STM factor fit the data as well as one that separated the WM and STM constructs (the latter were correlated at .86), and this single spatial memory construct accounted for 35% of the variance in an executive-function construct composed of Tower of Hanoi and random generation tasks. Here, then, spatial WM and STM tasks appeared to measure a single construct related to executive attention.…”

“…Recall that evidence from verbal tasks suggests that WMC and STM constructs are strongly correlated but separable and that verbal WMC is a far better predictor of complex cognitive ability than is verbal STM capacity (Conway et al, 2002;Daneman & Merikle, 1996;. In contrast, some recent evidence from visuospatial tasks suggests that WMC and STM constructs are extremely highly correlated, if not inseparable, and that spatial STM and WMC are equally strong predictors of complex cognitive ability (Miyake et al, 2001;Oberauer, in press;Shah & Miyake, 1996).…”

Selective Association Between Tetris Game Play and Visuospatial Working Memory: A Preliminary Investigation

“…Jarvis & Gathercole, 2003; Miyake et al, 2001; Shah & Miyake, 1996). Contrary to the multicomponent model (e.g.…”

“…However, other competing accounts suggest that there are two independent domain‐specific components for verbal and visuospatial information, each capable of both storing and processing information (e.g. Friedman & Miyake, 2000; Jarvis & Gathercole, 2003; Miyake, Friedman, Rettinger, Shah, & Hegarty, 2001; Shah & Miyake, 1996). By these accounts, verbal WM (executive) tasks would not predict visuospatial abilities and vice versa.…”