注意力控制在工作記憶發展中的角色

The Role of Attentional Control in Working Memory Development

本研究以發展的角度，探討注意力控制能力在工作記憶發展中所扮演的角色。研究中以閱讀數字廣度作業測量兒童的工作記憶得分，以兒童版的點測驗及伴側作業測量兒童的抑制反應傾向、抑制刺激干擾、轉換反應規則及轉換注意焦點等四種與注意力控制有關的能力。結果發現，6-11歲的國小學童其工作記憶功能與注意力容量大小與注意力控制能力高低有關。以注意力控制的特定能力而言，全體6-11歲兒童的工作記憶得分與抑制反應傾向能力有顯著相關，而中高年級兒童的工作記憶得分則與轉換注意焦點能力有顯著相關。迴歸分析的結果進一步顯示：對全體6-11歲兒童和單獨針對低年級兒童而言，年齡大小可以預測工作記憶作業的得分表現，但在排除年齡效果之後，抑制反應傾向能力對全體6-11歲兒童的工作記憶得分便不再具有預測力；對中高年級兒童而言，年齡對工作記憶表現已不具預測力，但轉換注意焦點能力則具有預測力。根據以上結果，本研究推論有效轉換注意焦點的控制能力，在8-11歲兒童的工作記憶運作中扮演重要的角色，而6-7歲兒童的工作記憶運作則主要與其他隨年齡成熟的歷程有關。

This research investigates the role of attentional control in the development of working memory. The working memory capacity of elementary-school children was measured by the reading digit-span task, and their attentional control, response tendency inhibition, distracting stimuli inhibition, response rule switching, and attentional focus switching were measured by the Dots task and the Flanker task. The results showed that the development of working memory in school-age children (ages 6 to 11) were related to attentional resources and attentional control. More specifically, for Grades 1 - 6 group, working memory capacity was found to be correlated with the ability to inhibit response tendency. For the Grade 3 - 6 group, the ability to switch between attentional foci was found to be correlated with working memory capacity. Hierarchical regression analyses further revealed that age differences account for the variance in the working memory test scores for first and second graders, but not for third to sixth graders. Importantly, after age was controlled for, the attentional focus switching ability index continued to account for the variance in working memory test scores for the older group, but the response tendency inhibition index no longer accounted for the variance in the working memory test scores for the whole group. These findings suggest that attentional control, specifically attentional focus switching, plays an important role in the functioning of working memory between ages 8 and 11 years, whereas working memory functions at younger ages is mainly associated with maturation-based influences.