Complex span versus updating tasks of working memory: The gap is not that deep.
Open accessAbstract
How to best measure working memory capacity is an issue of ongoing debate. Besides established complex span tasks, which combine short-term memory demands with generally unrelated secondary tasks, there exists a set of paradigms characterized by continuous and simultaneous updating of several items in working memory, such as the n-back, memory updating, or alpha span tasks. With a latent variable analysis (N = 96) based on content-heterogeneous operationalizations of both task families, the authors found a latent correlation between a complex span factor and an updating factor that was not statistically different from unity (r = .96). Moreover, both factors predicted fluid intelligence (reasoning) equally well. The authors conclude that updating tasks measure working memory equally well as complex span tasks. Processes involved in building, maintaining, and updating arbitrary bindings may constitute the common working memory ability underlying performance on reasoning, complex span, and updating tasks.
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Evidence on whether complex span and n-back tasks converge on the same ability is mixed.
“Nevertheless, evidence for their convergent validity is mixed.”
From Which “working memory” are we talking about? Complex span tasks versus N-back (2025) · cites this paper as Schmiedek et al., 2009
In Schmiedek et al. (2009), two of three complex span measures had weak, nonsignificant correlations with n-back performance, yet the latent constructs were perfectly correlated.
“Notably, two of the three complex span measures had weak, nonsignificant correlations with n-back performance, yet at the latent level, the constructs were perfectly correlated.”
From Which “working memory” are we talking about? Complex span tasks versus N-back (2025) · cites this paper as Schmiedek et al., 2009
Schmiedek et al. (2009) found a latent correlation of .96 between complex span and updating factors, which was not significantly different from 1.0.
“Using latent variable modeling, they found a correlation of r = .96between factors representing complex span and updating performance-this correlation was not significantly different from 1.0.”
From Which “working memory” are we talking about? Complex span tasks versus N-back (2025) · cites this paper as Schmiedek et al., 2009
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References 43 · Cited by 277
- Authors
- Schmiedek, F., Hildebrandt, A., Lövdén, M., Wilhelm, O., & Lindenberger, U.
- Affiliations
- Lund University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Schmiedek, Florian
- Venue
- Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
- Published
- 2009-07
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1089-1096
- ISSN
- 0278-7393 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1285
- OpenAlex
- W2166747518
- Cited by
- 277
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 17.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Max Planck Society (M.FE.A.BILD0005)
- German Federal Ministry for Education and Research
- German Research Foundation (KFG 163)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- working memory capacity, complex span, N-back, memory updating, fluid intelligence, latent variable analysis, binding processes, reasoning
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Models, Psychological, Neuropsychological Tests, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Space Perception, Statistics as Topic, Young Adult
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