Working memories and their relationships to motor function and academic achievement

ObjectiveTo study different types of working memories and their relationships to the moving speed of hands and academic achievement.MethodThe digit span, spatial span, multiple-objects-spatial span and the moving speed of hands and fingers were measured in 92 college students (48 males, 44 females). Their scores of entrance examination for college (nationally organized) were used as index of academic achievement. ResultsThere was no significant difference of scores between male and female students in three types of working memory span. In male, the score of multiple-objects-spatial span was positively correlated with the score of digit span and the moving speed of right hand. In female, the score of multiple-objects-spatial span was positively correlated with the scores of spatial span, digit span and the moving speed of left finger. Both male and female scores of multiple-objects-spatial span were positively correlated with the score of mathematics.ConclusionThere are gender-related differences in processing complex working memory tasks. Complex working memory task is a better predictor of general cerebral function and behavior performances than simple working memory task.