A trajetória da memória de trabalho em crianças entre os 5 e 6 anos

Abstract

Introduction: The developmental trajectory of working memory in the portuguese preschool population has been a topic of scientific discussion with relevance for understanding cognitive development. The characterization of the intra-individual trajectory of working memory in different verbal and non-verbal domains has not yet been investigated in the Portuguese pre-school population. Methodology: 54 children aged between 5 and 6 (M = 5.64; SD = 0.29) were recruited, including 26 male and 28 female participants from a school cluster in the district of Setúbal. The assessment prototype consists of four working memory measures, namely phonological memory and visual-spatial memory (respectively, NotThis and MrAnt from the Early Years Toolbox), digit memory (adapted from the WISC-III) and narrative memory (NEPSY-II). These instruments were applied at two different points in time, 6 months apart. Results: Differences were found in the pattern of intra-individual development of working memory, but there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes in terms of progression of performance over time. Significant progression was observed in the Narrative Memory, Direct Digit Memory and NotThis tasks. However, performance on tasks with less verbal weight, such as Mr.Ant and reverse digit memory, remained constant and did not show a significant increase over time. Conclusion: This study is the first to analyse the intra-individual trajectory of the Portuguese pre-school population in terms of different types of working memory. From an educational and clinical point of view, the results obtained could be useful for understanding typical development, insofar as the different types of working memory may not show the same progression, and the stimulus-brain maturation relationship, already discussed in the literature, may underpin these specificities of progression at preschool ages. However, considering the lack of normative values for the Portuguese population for some of the instruments used (e.g. Early Years Toolbox and NEPSY-II), more research and a larger sample are needed to ensure that these results are nationally representative.

Date of Award	19 Dec 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joana Rodrigues Rato (Supervisor)