Adaptation into European Spanish of the Automated Working Memory Test Battery (AWMA)

anales de psicología, 2017, vol. 33, nº 1 (january), 188-195 http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.33.1.256911 © Copyright 2017: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia. Murcia (Spain) ISSN print edition: 0212-9728. ISSN web edition (http://revistas.um.es/analesps): 1695-2294 Adaptation into European Spanish of the Automated Working Memory Test Battery (AWMA) Miguel Á. Pérez1,*, Flávia H. Santos2,*, Lidia Gómez-Cobos1, Lorenzo Hernández-Pallarés3, Victoria Cuello3, Concha Miralles3, Javier Marín1 y Gema Cañizares3 1 University of Murcia (Spain). 2 University of Minho, Laboratory of Human Cognition (Portugal). 3 Consejería Educación y Universidades, Región de Murcia (Spain). Título: Adaptación al Español Europeo de la Evaluación Automatizada de la Memoria Operativa (Automated Working Memory Test Battery AWMA). Resumen: En el presente estudio se presenta la adaptación al idioma Español Europeo de la Evaluación Automatizada de la Memoria Operativa, habiéndose tenido en cuenta la necesidad de calibración para cuestiones de acento y lingüística que no son compatibles con la versión disponible. Con este propósito, el material verbal fue seleccionado cuidadosa y apropiadamente, teniendo en cuenta las especificidades del Español Europeo y con el fin de controlar los posibles efectos de los factores psicolingüísticos, tales como la longitud de las palabras o la frecuencia léxica, y aspectos técnicos, como la velocidad de presentación de los estímulos y la calidad de sonido también fueron controlados. Una muestra exploratoria de 81 niños de 7 a 9 años de edad se evaluó para confirmar que la adaptación es adecuada para su empleo posterior. Además las puntuaciones obtenidas se contrastaron con las de niños argentinos. Los datos mostraron una validez adecuada y una puntuación fiable, lo que permite considerar a esta versión como un instrumento útil para fines de investigación, y su empleo en futuros estudios debería incentivar la recopilación de datos normativos para españoles. Palabras clave: memoria operativa; evaluación; español europeo; infancia; psicolingüística. Abstract: The current study presents the adaptation of Automated Working Memory Assessment into European Spanish, considering the need of calibration for accent and linguistic issues not supported by the version available. For this purpose, verbal material was carefully and properly selected, considering specificities of the European Spanish, in order to control possible effects of psycholinguistic factors, such as word length or lexical frequency, and technical aspects such as stimuli presentation speed and sound quality were also tuned. An exploratory sample of 81 children from 7- to 9-year-old was assessed to confirm that the adaptation is suitable for further use, besides, their scores were contrasted with the Argentinean children. The data showed proper validity and reliability scores, which characterize this version as a useful instrument for research purposes, and its usage in further studies should be encourage to gather normative data for Spaniards. Key word: working memory; assessment; European Spanish; childhood; psycholinguistic Introduction aged 5–6 and 9–10 years that obtained scores at or below the 10th percentile in contrast with their age group. These children with low working memory capacity were assessed in other domains such as cognitive skills (IQ, vocabulary, reading, and math), classroom behavior, and self-esteem. Children with low working memory capacity presented high ratings of cognitive problems ⁄ inattentive symptoms and were judged to have short attention spans, high levels of distractibility, problems in monitoring the quality of their work, and difficulties in generating new solutions to problems. Therefore, working memory is a sensible marker in the context of academic achievement and learning disabilities; besides, working memory predicts longer term academic success (Alloway, Alloway, & Wootan, 2014). In fact, working memory deficits are associated with disorders in reading (e.g., López-Escribano, Elosúa de Juan, Gómez-Veiga, & García-Madruga, 2013; Wang & Gathercole, 2014), mathematics (e.g., Geary, Hoard, Byrd-Craven, & DeSoto, 2004; Santos et al., 2012; Pina, Fuentes, Castillo, & Diamantopoulou, 2014), language (e.g., Archibald & Gathercole, 2006; Bandini, Santos, & Souza, 2013; Holmes et al., 2015), and attention (e.g. Martinussen & Tannock, 2006; Gathercole, Alloway, Kirkwood, & Elliott, 2008; Holmes et al., 2014). Therefore, its assessment is relevant in clinical context. The AWMA is a computer based standardized battery that assesses both temporary storage and attentional control (Alloway, 2007). However, develop and standardize equiva- Working memory is a broad framework of interacting processes that involve the temporary storage and manipulation of information ongoing complex cognitive activities. In the original frame proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974) there were three components: the central executive, a limited capacity controller characterized as a collection of attentional control, planning and monitoring, and retrieval resources (Baddeley, 1996), which was supported by two modality specific temporary storage systems, the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Two decades later, a fourth component, the episodic buffer was included (Baddeley, 2000). The episodic buffer was understood as a temporary multidimensional store that binds information from the temporary storage subsystems, long-term memory, and the central executive. It was assumed as a consciousness function (Baars, 2002). Alloway, Gathercole, Kirkwood, & Elliott (2009) carried out an epidemiological study in 3,189 native Englishspeaking children using two working memory tasks in the screening phase. They found out a sample of 361 children * Correspondence address [Dirección para correspondencia]: Dr. Flávia Heloísa Santos, University of Minho. School of Psychology (CIPsi). Gabinete 1098. Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga (Portugal). E-mail: Dr. Miguel Á. Pérez, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Espinardo (Edif. 31), Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia (Spain). E-mail: - 188 - 189 Adaptation into European Spanish of the Automated Working Memory Test Battery (AWMA) lent neuropsychological instruments across different languages respecting cross-cultural issues is challenge (Santos et al., 2012). Especially in the context of working memory because socioeconomic status seems do not affect working memory performance (Engel, Santos, & Gathercole, 2008; Alloway et al., 2014), however environmental stimulation does (Tine, 2014). The battery was originally generated in English and it has been translated and used into 15 languages, such as Argentinean-Spanish (Injoque-Ricle, Calero, Alloway, & Burin, 2011). The Argentinean-Spanish AWMA was validated in children aged 6, 8 and 11 years. The tasks were well understood by all children, and their performance showed a steady increase in (...truncated)