The contribution of serial order short-term memory and long-term learning to reading acquisition : a longitudinal study

There is increasing evidence for an association between both serial order short-term memory (STM) and the long-term learning (LTL) of serial order information and reading abilities. In this developmental study, we examined the hypothesis that STM for serial order supports online grapheme-to-phoneme conversion processes during the initial stages of reading acquisition, whereas the LTL of serial order serves reading abilities at later stages, when reading starts to rely on more stable, long-term orthographic representations. We followed a sample of 116 French-speaking children from first (Time 1 [T1]) grade of primary school through second (Time 2 [T2]) and third (Time 3 [T3]) grade. Their serial order STM and LTL abilities as well as their reading abilities were assessed. Overall, we observed that early reading abilities were only predicted by serial order STM performance, while more advanced reading abilities were predicted by both serial order STM and LTL performance. These results point toward a predictive role of serial order memory performance in reading acquisition and suggest that serial order STM and LTL support reading at different stages of acquisition. We further discuss our findings in the light of advancing knowledge about the relationship between memory and reading

Serial order short- and long-term memory determinants of oral and written language acquisition

When infants learn their first words, they are required to memorize sequences of sounds (phonemes) that have a particular meaning. Moreover, at the age of six years, children start to learn to decode written words, that is, sequences of letters (graphemes) that are assembled in a specific order, which determines the meaning of the word. In fact, the letter sequence stop does not have the same meaning as the sequence spot. Recently, two lines of research have shown, independently from each other, that learning oral or written words is dependent on serial order short-term memory (STM) ability on one hand, and serial order long-term memory (LTM) ability on the other hand. Nevertheless, we currently do not know when and how both forms of serial order memory are involved in vocabulary and literacy acquisition. The purpose of this thesis is to contrast STM and LTM for serial order in order to obtain a better understanding of the specific contribution of each type of serial order memory to oral and written word form learning. The findings reported here demonstrate that STM for serial order appears to be more strongly involved in the earliest stages of word form learning, while serial order LTM intervenes at a later stage allowing to transform novel linguistic information into proceduralized memory representations.(PSYE - Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation) -- UCL, 201

The Dynamics of Multiword Sequence Extraction

Being able to process multiword sequences is central for both language comprehension and production. Numerous studies support this claim, but less is known about the way multiword sequences are acquired, and more specifically how associations between their constituents are established over time. Here we adapted Rey et al.’s (2020) Hebb naming task into a Hebb lexical decision task to study the dynamics of multiword sequence extraction. Participants had to read letter strings presented on a computer screen and were required to classify them as words or pseudowords. Unknown to the participants, a triplet of words or pseudowords systematically appeared in the same order and random words or pseudowords were inserted between two repetitions of the triplet. We found that RTs for the unpredictable first position in the triplet decreased over repetitions (i.e., indicating the presence of a repetition effect) but more slowly and with a different dynamic compared to items appearing at the predictable second and third positions in the repeated triplet (i.e., showing a slightly different predictability effect). Implicit and explicit learning also varied as a function of the nature of the triplet (i.e., unrelated words, pseudowords, semantically related words, or idioms). Overall, these results provide new empirical evidence about the dynamics of multiword sequence extraction, and more generally about the role of statistical learning in language acquisition

The developmental neural substrates of item and serial order components of verbal working memory

Behavioral and developmental studies have made a critical distinction between item and serial order processing components of verbal working memory (WM). This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study determined the extent to which item and serial order WM components are characterized by specialized neural networks already in young children or whether this specialization emerges at a later developmental stage. Total of 59 children aged 7–12 years performed item and serial order short‐term probe recognition tasks in an fMRI experiment. While a left frontoparietal network was recruited in both item and serial order WM conditions, the right intraparietal sulcus was selectively involved in the serial order WM condition. This neural segregation was modulated by age, with both networks becoming increasingly separated in older children. Our results indicate a progressive specialization of networks involved in item and order WM processes during cognitive development

IN PRESS/ Learning & Behavior On the role of interference in sequence learning in Guinea baboons (Papio papio)

International audienceIt is nowadays well-established that decay and interference are two main causes of forgetting. In the present study, we specifically focus on the impact of interference on memory forgetting. To do so, we tested Guinea baboons (Papio papio) on a visuo-motor adaptation of the Serial Reaction Time task in which a target sequence is repeated, and a random sequence is interposed between repetitions, a similar situation as the one used in the Hebb repetition paradigm. In this task, one three-item sequence, the repeated sequence, was presented every second trial and interleaved with random sequences. Interference was implemented by using random sequences containing one item that was also part of the repeated sequence. In a first condition, the overlapping item was located at the same position as the repeated sequence. In a second condition, the overlapping item was located at one of the two other positions. In a third condition, there was no overlap between repeated and random sequences. Contrary to previous findings, our results reveal similar learning slopes across all three conditions, suggesting that interference did not affect sequence learning in the conditions tested. Findings are discussed in the light of previous research on sequence learning and current models of memory and statistical learning

Short-and long-term memory determinants of novel word form learning

It is widely assumed that a strong positive link exists between memory and vocabulary development. Nevertheless, the exact involvement of short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) is poorly understood. STM for serial order information is argued to play a crucial role in temporarily maintaining and refreshing the order of phonemes representing novel word forms. LTM for serial order information, in contrast, is involved in the consolidation of phoneme sequences into unitary word form representations. Here, we tested 131 6-year-old children on tasks that targeted STM for serial order versus item information, on a Hebb repetition task targeting long-term serial order learning, and on a paired-associate novel word learning task. Bayesian analyses revealed a strong correlation between STM for serial order information, and both the initial and final stages of word form learning. LTM was associated with the final stages of word form learning. These findings are discussed in light of existing theories about the role of memory in language

The developmental neural substrates of Hebb repetition learning and their link with reading ability

Hebb repetition learning is a fundamental learning mechanism for sequential knowledge, such as language. However, still little is known about its development. This fMRI study examined the developmental neural substrates of Hebb repetition learning and its relation with reading abilities in a group of 49 children aged from 6 to 12 years. In the scanner, the children carried out an immediate serial recall task for syllable sequences of which some sequences were repeated several times over the course of the session (Hebb repetition sequences). The rate of Hebb repetition learning was associated with modulation of activity in the medial temporal lobe. Importantly, for the age range studied here, learning-related medial temporal lobe modulation was independent of the age of the children. Furthermore, we observed an association between regular and irregular word reading abilities and the neural substrates of Hebb repetition learning. This study suggests that the functional neural substrates of Hebb repetition learning do not undergo further maturational changes in school age children, possibly because they are sustained by implicit sequential learning mechanisms which are considered to be fully developed by that age. Importantly, the neural substrates of Hebb learning remain significant determinants of children's learning abilities, such as reading

Sequential versus simultaneous presentation of memoranda in verbal working memory: (How) does it matter?

To-be-memorized information in verbal working memory (WM) can be presented sequentially, like in oral language, and simultaneously, like in written language. Few studies have addressed the importance and implications for verbal WM processing of these two presentation modes. While sequential presentation may favor discrete, temporal encoding processes, simultaneous presentation may favor spatial encoding processes. We compared immediate serial recall tasks for sequential versus simultaneous word list presentation with a specific focus on serial position curves of recall performance, transposition gradients, and the nature of serial order errors. First, we observed higher recall performance in the simultaneous compared to the sequential conditions, with a particularly large effect at end-of-list items. Moreover, results showed more transposition errors between non-adjacent items for the sequential condition, as well as more omission errors especially for start-of-list items. This observation can be explained in terms of differences in refreshing opportunities for start-of-list items during encoding between conditions. This study shows that the presentation mode of sequential material can have a significant impact on verbal WM performance, with an advantage for simultaneous encoding of sequence information

Sequential versus simultaneous presentation of memoranda in verbal working memory: (How) does it matter?

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