Linking working memory and long‐term memory: a computational model of the learning of new words
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The nonword repetition (NWR) test has been shown to be a good predictor of children's vocabulary size. NWR performance has been explained using phonological working memory, which is seen as a critical component in the learning of new words. However, no detailed specification of the link between phonological working memory and long-term memory (LTM) has been proposed. In this paper, we present a computational model of children's vocabulary acquisition (EPAM-VOC) that specifies how phonological working memory and LTM interact. The model learns phoneme sequences, which are stored in LTM and mediate how much information can be held in working memory. The model's behaviour is compared with that of children in a new study of NWR, conducted in order to ensure the same nonword stimuli and methodology across ages. EPAM-VOC shows a pattern of results similar to that of children: performance is better for shorter nonwords and for wordlike nonwords, and performance improves with age. EPAM-VOC also simulates the superior performance for single consonant nonwords over clustered consonant nonwords found in previous NWR studies. EPAM-VOC provides a simple and elegant computational account of some of the key processes involved in the learning of new words: it specifies how phonological working memory and LTM interact; makes testable predictions; and suggests that developmental changes in NWR performance may reflect differences in the amount of information that has been encoded in LTM rather than developmental changes in working memory capacity.
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Working memory capacity grows from infancy through childhood into adolescence, driven by maturation and knowledge gains.
“WM capacitythat is, the maximum amount of information that WM can store and manipulate -steadily increases throughout infancy and childhood up to adolescence (Cowan, 2016;Gathercole, Pickering, Ambridge, & Wearing, 2004), both due to maturation and increase in knowledge (Cowan, 2016;Jones, Gobet, & Pine, 2007).”
From Working memory training in typically developing children: A multilevel meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Jones et al., 2007
In “Interaction of phonological working memory with LTM knowledge,” the paper explains that accumulated knowledge can increase how much information children hold in working memory. It does not establish a steady increase from infancy through adolescence or show that maturation drives it; instead, it says developmental changes in capacity may not be necessary to explain the performance changes studied. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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- Authors
- Jones, G., Gobet, F., & Pine, J. M.
- Affiliations
- Nottingham Trent University (GB)
- Brunel University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Jones, Gary
- Venue
- Developmental Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-10-25
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 853-873
- ISSN
- 1363-755X (ISSN-L)
- 1467-7687
- OpenAlex
- W2090414337
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 78
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 11.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Developmental Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
- Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London) (submittedVersion)
- Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Keywords
- non-word repetition, phonological working memory, long-term memory, vocabulary acquisition, word learning, computational model, phoneme sequences, working memory capacity
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Child, Preschool, Humans, Language Development, Learning, Memory, Memory, Short-Term, Models, Biological, Mental Recall, Vocabulary
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