The study presented in this article had participants between the ages of three and eight in order to examine when the phonological …show more content…
For three-year-olds, the study showed that verbally labeling the picture had no effect on their recall for the pictures (Palmer, 2000). This is consistent with Baddely’s theory on working memory that the phonological loop would not yet be developed at this age. However, with five to eight-year olds, sometimes using a visual strategy, a verbal strategy, or both would retrieve the information. The study did not have a clear solution that the phonological loop does in fact begin at the age of seven since children as young as five-years-old were demonstrating its …show more content…
It shows that the presence of the phonological loop is present in some children before the age of seven. At the age of seven, most children rely more on verbal coding. Even young children who demonstrate a preference for using visual coding have both visual and verbal coding available to them (Palmer, 2000). This information contributes to the field of cognitive psychology by helping it to gain more accurate knowledge about the brain and its functions. Education could benefit from the information found in this study. Children with a high capacity of the phonological loop have better reading and comprehension abilities (Cheetham, 2016). Increasing that capacity could improve learning. Teaching children strategies to increase the strength of the phonological loop could improve the overall learning that takes place in school. It is important to focus on the age appropriate strengths of the child. It is not necessary to begin teaching three-year-old children to read phonics and seven-year-old children could be beginning to explore chapter books with limited pictures.
Every study has specific methods and participants, important findings, strengths and weaknesses, as well as potential contributions to the field of psychology. This particular study involving children and working memory is an important addition to the knowledge in the field of psychology. More extensive research may need to be conducted in order to fully understand the different