Abstract:

Examined the capacity of working memory in an attempt to explain reasoning ability. 17 working-memory tasks, chosen to represent the proposed facet structure of working memory, was administered together with a test for the Berlin Intelligence Structure Model to 128 participants (aged 18-46 years). The results show that general working-memory capacity was highly related to general intelligence. The strong correlation between working memory and reasoning remains over a large range of different tasks. The relationship of working memory tasks to complex intellectual abilities does not appear to depend solely on any specific feature of a task. The paths from working memory to intelligence factors appear to be highly specific, suggesting that specific working memory resources, as opposed to a general capacity, are the limiting factors for their corresponding counterparts in the structure of mental abilities.