Working memory and comprehension: A replication

Abstract

Daneman and Carpenter (1980, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19, 450–466) developed a measure of working memory capacity, the reading span test, which they related in several experiments to individual differences in reading comprehension skill. Because previous attempts to establish a relation between working memory and comprehension had failed, Daneman and Carpenter’s work has received a great deal of attention. The purpose of the present study was to provide a replication using independently constructed materials for both the reading span test and the comprehension tasks. The results essentially replicated those of Daneman and Carpenter, but there were some important qualifications. © 1985, The psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.