A testagem da Memória de Trabalho em pesquisas brasileiras: uma investigação sobre usos e adaptações do Reading Span Test (RST) e do Operation-Word Span Test (OSPAN)

Abstract

This paper aims to verify the nature of Working Memory (WM) tests, namely the Reading Span Test (RST) and the Operation-Word Span Test (OSPAN) used in research in Brazil. Based on search results in CAPES database for MA theses and PhD dissertations, this study looks at: (i) The number of studies in Brazil that have made use of the OSPAN and RST tests; (ii) The language and version of the OSPAN and RST tests that have been used in Brazil in the research; (iii) The degree to which administration procedures of the OSPAN and RST tests differ in the studies found in the database in relation to the original procedures; (iv) The degree to which scoring procedures of the OSPAN and RST tests differ in the studies found in the database in relation to the original procedures. The data obtained were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively and were systematized in order to answer the research questions. Analyses of the 20 studies found have shown that the RST is the most frequently used test to measure WM capacity in reading comprehension tasks and the OSPAN in general domain tasks. Both tests have been mostly administered in Portuguese and largely based on the original as well as adapted versions by Brazilian researchers. Administration procedures differed in relation to form and stimuli setting, including additional criteria. Scoring procedures differed for they used two scoring methods.

KEYWORDS: Working Memory. Reading Span Test. Operation-Word Span Test. Language Processing.