Repeated Testing of Working Memory Capacity

Abstract

Working memory capacity is measured by a variety of memory span tasks and can account for about 40% of inter-individual variation in fluid intelligence (Broadway &Engle, in preparation). In the present study, ten participants performed a widely accepted valid test of WMC, the Running Memory Span task (Pollack, Johnson, &Knaff, 1959), twenty-five times over five sessions to assess test-retest reliability and the extent of practice effects. Results confirmed expectations that memory performance would improve but that the rank ordering of individuals on performance would remain consistent over repeated testing.