Abstract:

Investigated the relationship between updating tasks of working memory and complex span tasks (CSTs) using latent variable analysis. A total of 96 participants (45 female, mean age 24.9 years) completed 3 updating tasks, 3 CSTs, and 2 reasoning tasks. For updating tasks, mean accuracies served as dependent variables and a partial credit unit-scoring procedure was applied to CSTs. Latent variable analyses were applied to the resulting scores in order to examine construct overlap between measurement paradigms. Results revealed that the 3 updating tasks reliably measured the same latent factor as that assessed by the CSTs. The 2 types of task thus appear equally suitable for the measurement of interindividual differences in working memory capacity. As a result of this common latent factor, both types of task were also equally related with reasoning. In closing, implications of the findings are discussed.