.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
The Impact of Working Memory on Chinese Word Reading: The Respective Roles of Quality and Quantity
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
N
M
J
S
DOI：10.1080/10888438.2026.2659583.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
While working memory (WM) span (the quantity of working memory storage) is a well-established predictor of reading, the role of WM precision (the quality of working memory representations) has been largely neglected. This study examined the distinct and interactive effects of WM span and precision on Chinese word reading, and how these effects are influenced by phonetic regularity and character frequency.
A group of 264 Chinese Mandarin-speaking third graders (Mage = 9-year-old, 53.79% male) from Mainland China completed tasks assessing WM span and precision, single- and two-character word reading, nonverbal intelligence, vocabulary, and visual perception.
For single-character word reading, a three-way interaction between WM span, WM precision, and phonetic regularity showed that WM precision was positively associated with irregular character reading regardless of children’s WM span. However, for regular characters, this positive association was only found in children with low WM span. For two-character words, we found a main effect of WM precision and an interaction effect between WM span and phonetic regularity, whereby WM span was only positively correlated with irregular character reading. Character frequency did not interact with WM span or precision in either word type.
Our findings suggest a clear dissociation: WM precision is crucial when phonetic irregularity is high, possibly acting as a compensatory mechanism for limited WM span, while WM span supports complex, multi-character irregular word reading. Results highlight the necessity of considering both WM quality and quantity in reading models and refine theoretical accounts such as the lexical constituency model.
Keywords:
Working Memory
Reading
Precision
Span
Chinese Language
Journal
IF:
2.4
Papers:
62
Citations:
2.8K
Organization
Cited Papers