User:RadSpoon/sandbox

I want to add to the information about memory span tasks as the relate to language. In particular, I would expand the section "As a functional aspect" to better cover the theories by Baddeley and Hitch which are so far included in the article but only briefly mentioned or explained. I would also add to the section about practice of music some research that ties in music practice with performance on memory span tasks for tones. I would also add a section discussing differences in memory span for signed and verbal languages. The headings in sandbox are not going to be additional sections, but instead incorporated into existing sections within the main article.

Practice of music (addition):
Musicians have been shown to have larger memory span for tones individual than non-musicians, but not across segments.

As a functional aspect (addition):

 * Phonological Loop - two-part process involving the storage of audio traces that rapidly fade, "phonological store", and a component that can restore the traces, "articulatory loop". The various Memory span tasks and research since the formation of the Baddeley & Hitch's model have provided evidence supporting the phonological loop as a part of working memory and as a potential influence on the acquistion of a lexicon during adolescence.

Digit memory span (addition):
A 2011 study found that the pronunciation length and not visiospatial sketchpad abilities accounts for cross-linguistic differences in digit memory span production. Short pronunciation length can lead to better performance on tasks

Memory span in signed languages:
While the capacity for storage of items in the short-term memory is thought to be limited to around 7±2 items, in sign language it has been shown to be around 5±1. This difference is likely due to signing relying primarily on visually oriented representations rather than auditory based representations.

Addition to Extrinsic factors:
Addition of non-target elements: the addition of irrelevant stimuli between target stimuli reduces performance on memory span tasks. If the irrelevant stimuli is a repeated syllable (i.e. ba, ba, ba) the span is reduced (articulatory suppression effect)

Add to first point "characteristics": For example, in spoken word-span tasks if the words presented are phonologically similar a lower span is elicited than if the task uses phonologically different words.