Van Leijenhorst Linda, Crone Eveline A, Van der Molen Maurits W
Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Child Dev. 2007 May-Jun;78(3):987-1000. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01045.x.
This study examined developmental trends in object and spatial working memory (WM) using heart rate (HR) to provide an index of covert cognitive processes. Participants in 4 age groups (6-7, 9-10, 11-12, 18-26, n=20 each) performed object and spatial WM tasks, in which each trial was followed by feedback. Spatial WM task performance reached adult levels before object WM task performance. The differential developmental trends for object and spatial WM found in this study are taken to suggest that these WM components are separable. Negative performance feedback elicited HR slowing that was more pronounced for adults than for children. The development of performance monitoring as indexed by covert HR slowing following performance feedback contributes to WM performance.
本研究使用心率（HR）作为隐蔽认知过程的指标，考察了客体和空间工作记忆（WM）的发展趋势。4个年龄组（6 - 7岁、9 - 10岁、11 - 12岁、18 - 26岁，每组n = 20）的参与者进行了客体和空间WM任务，每次试验后都会有反馈。空间WM任务的表现比客体WM任务的表现更早达到成人水平。本研究中发现的客体和空间WM的不同发展趋势表明，这些WM成分是可分离的。负面的表现反馈会引起心率减慢，成人比儿童更为明显。表现反馈后隐蔽的心率减慢所反映的表现监测的发展有助于WM表现。
