An Investigation of the relationship between working memory capacity and verbal and mathematical achievement

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2012

Author

Leblebicioğlu, Ayşegül

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This study aims to find out the relationship between Working Memory Capacity and Verbal and Mathematical Achievement. The participants were 60 students at Hacettepe University School of Foreign Languages Department of Basic English. For measuring working memory capacity, one simple (Digit Span Task) and one complex (Reading Span Task) were used. Verbal achievement of the participants was measured both in their native language (Turkish) and their foreign language (English). For measuring their native language achievement, the participants’ Turkish scores in Yükseköğretime Geçis Sınavı 2010 (Transition to Higher Education Examination); and for measuring their foreign language achievement, the participants’ scores in Hacettepe University School of Foreign Languages Department of Basic English Elementary Groups Achievement Exams I and II were used. For measuring their mathematical achievement, the participants’ Mathematic scores in Yükseköğretime Geçis Sınavı 2010 (Transition to Higher Education Examination) were used. The data was analyzed using a statistical package program (SPSS Version 18.0). The data analysis results revealed that there is a relationship between working memory capacity and verbal and mathematical achievements of the participants. It was tentatively concluded that, as the working memory capacity of the participants increase, so might their achievement in verbal and mathematical subjects. This result was discussed in terms of its implications, which may be that, if working memory capacity could be improved; the cognitive processes which the working memory is responsible for might also improve.

Subject Keywords

Verbal ability., Mathematical ability., Comprehension., Learning, Psychology of.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614849/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/21830

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

A. Leblebicioğlu, “An Investigation of the relationship between working memory capacity and verbal and mathematical achievement,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2012.