Continuing the Search: Working Memory Measures as a Predictor of Immediate and Long-Term Performance

Abstract

In this study, the effects of working memory were correlated with scores on a learning performance measure taken both immediately after training and three weeks post training in an academic astronomy lab experiment. The reasoning for this research was based on findings by Bosco et al. (2015) which indicated strength for working memory as a predictor of performance nearly on par with that of the often-used cognitive ability tests. The present study found that there working memory measures and performance on an immediate learning-oriented posttest were correlated. However, further analysis through a linear model indicated that working memory did not account for any statistically significant variance in performance over time. These findings could be due to the limitations of our research study given that data were pulled from a larger grant research project which was not solely designed to compare working memory and performance. More research should be done in this area given the positive findings in other research in this area.