Vocabulary fully mediates the effect of working memory on both local and global coherence inference making in 6- to 10-year-olds¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? For local coherence inferences, the effect of working memory on inference was fully mediated by vocabulary for the 6-year-olds. → Currie 2015 q3 i? For global coherence inferences, vocabulary mediated the relationship between working memory and inference for all age groups. → Currie 2015 (2)

Evidence¶

Currie 2015¶

Currie, N. K., & Cain, K. (2015). Children's inference generation: The role of vocabulary and working memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 137, 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.03.005

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Mediation analyses (causal steps plus Preacher and Hayes bootstrap with 1000 resamples) tested simple span's effect on local coherence inference for the 6-year-olds. "The mediation analyses demonstrated that vocabulary mediated its effect", and mediation was confirmed because zero was not included in the 95% confidence interval for the mediated effect.

"The mediation analyses demonstrated that vocabulary mediated its effect; the effect of working memory on inference making (c 0 path) was not significant after taking vocabulary into account."

Currie 2015 (2)¶

Currie, N. K., & Cain, K. (2015). Children's inference generation: The role of vocabulary and working memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 137, 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.03.005

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Mediation analyses for global coherence inferences confirmed mediation at all three ages: the working-memory path was no longer significant when vocabulary was entered, and "vocabulary mediated the relationship between working memory and inference for all age groups" because zero was not in the 95% confidence interval.

"For global coherence inferences, vocabulary mediated the relationship between working memory and inference for all age groups."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Inferencing — outcome: instruction changes it
• Working Memory — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Inference-making performance improves with age between 6 and 10 years, with children performing better on global than local coherence inference questions — related
• Vocabulary uniquely predicts local coherence inference making for 6- and 8-year-olds, but neither vocabulary nor working memory predicts it for 10-year-olds — related
• Vocabulary is the only unique predictor of global coherence inference making at all three ages, 6 through 10 years — related