Abstract EN:

What is working memory capacity ? What is the nature of developmental and individual differences ? A first series of experiments shows that differences in working memory (WM) influence performance of adults and children not only in complex cognitive activities, but also in elementary activities relying on retrieval from long-term memory. The WM capacity would correspond to the quantity of attentional resources available to perform retrievals. This quantity is independent of the attentional focus size and affects the speed of retrievals, the learning of new knowledge and the selection of strategies. A second series of experiments evaluates the WM capacity by asking subjects to perform series of retrievals at a fixed pace simultaneoulsy to the maintenance of information in short term memory. The spans are then more predictive of scholastic achievement than traditional spans. All our results suggest that WM capacities are even more central than predicted by actual theoretical models.