A task is a task is a task: putting complex span, n-back, and other working memory indicators in psychometric context
Open accessAbstract
Based on a meta-analysis, Redick and Lindsey (2013) found that complex span and n-back tasks show an average correlation of r = 0.20, and concluded that "complex span and n-back tasks cannot be used interchangeably as working memory measures in research applications" (p. 1102). Here, we comment on this conclusion from a psychometric perspective. In addition to construct variance, performance on a test contains measurement error, task-specific variance, and paradigm-specific variance. Hence, low correlations among dissimilar indicators do not provide strong evidence for the existence, or absence, of a construct common to both indicators. One way to arrive at such evidence is to fit hierarchical latent factors that model task-specific, paradigm-specific, and construct variance. We report analyses for 101 younger and 103 older adults who worked on nine different working memory tasks. The data are consistent with a hierarchical model of working memory, according to which both complex span and n-back tasks are valid indicators of working memory. The working memory factor predicts 71% of the variance in a factor of reasoning among younger adults (83% for among older adults). When the working memory factor was restricted to any possible triplet of working memory tasks, the correlation between working memory and reasoning was inversely related to the average magnitude of the correlations among the indicators, indicating that more highly intercorrelated indicators may provide poorer coverage of the construct space. We stress the need to go beyond specific tasks and paradigms when studying higher-order cognitive constructs, such as working memory.
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N-back tasks are highly correlated with other working memory tasks at a latent level.
“a recent study showed that n-back tasks are in fact highly correlated with other WM tasks at a latent level (Schmiedek et al., 2014).”
From Working memory training revisited: A multi-level meta-analysis of n-back training studies (2017) · cites this paper as Schmiedek et al., 2014
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Working memory training revisited: A multi-level meta-analysis of n-back training studies
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“However, a recent study showed that n-back tasks are in fact highly correlated with other WM tasks at a latent level (Schmiedek et al., 2014).”
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Which ‘Working’ Components of Working Memory aren’t Working in Youth with ADHD?
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- Authors
- Schmiedek, F., Lövdén, M., & Lindenberger, U.
- Affiliations
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schmiedek, Florian
- Venue
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2014-12-23
- Volume
- 5
- Pages
- 1475-1475
- ISSN
- 1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4274887
- OpenAlex
- W2014244071
- Cited by
- 173
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 12.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Publication Server of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (Goethe University Frankfurt) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (M.FE.A.BILD0005, A.BILD0005)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- working memory, complex span, n-back task, construct validity, measurement error, reasoning, older adults, cognitive aging
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