Abstract
In reading and other high-level cognitive tasks, Ericsson and Kintsch (1995) proposed that the limited capacity of short-term working memory (STWM) is supplemented by long- term working memory (LTWM) for individuals with a high degree of domain-specific knowledge. In Experiment 1, college students (N = 80) wrote persuasive and narrative texts concerning baseball; domain-specific knowledge about baseball and verbal ability was assessed. The results showed that verbal ability and domain-specific knowledge independently affected writing skill, supporting the view that literacy depends on both knowledge sources and refuting one argument raised in support of the LTWM hypothesis. Experiment 2 (N = 42) replicated this outcome and tested the prediction that a high degree of domain-specific knowledge would lessen interference on a secondary task. The data supported the interference prediction, offering evidence that LTWM plays a role in the production of text.
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These experiments were reported in a paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Society, May 1998, in Washington, DC.
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Kellogg, R.T. Long-term working memory in text production. Memory & Cognition 29, 43–52 (2001). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195739
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195739