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Do verbal and nonverbal declarative memory tasks in second language research measure the same abilities?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2024

Phillip Hamrick Open the ORCID record for Phillip Hamrick [Opens in a new window] ,
Christopher A. Was  and
Yin Zhang
Phillip Hamrick*
Affiliation:
Kent State University
Christopher A. Was
Affiliation:
Kent State University
Yin Zhang
Affiliation:
Kent State University
*
Corresponding author: Phillip Hamrick; Email: phamric1@kent.edu.
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Abstract

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that individual differences in declarative memory may be an important predictor of second language (L2) abilities. However, the evidence comes from studies using different declarative memory tasks that vary in their reliance on verbal abilities and task demands, which preclude estimating the size of the relationship between declarative memory and L2 learning. To address these concerns, we examined the relationship between verbal and nonverbal declarative memory abilities within the same task while controlling for task demands and stimulus modality, to estimate the upper bound of the relationship between verbal and nonverbal declarative memory. Results indicate that when task demands and stimulus modality are controlled, verbal and nonverbal declarative memory abilities shared a medium-to-large amount of underlying variance. However, future studies should exercise caution in appraising associations between declarative memory abilities and L2 learning until a more precise understanding of the underlying mechanisms is achieved.

Type
Methods Forum
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 46 , Issue 2 , May 2024 , pp. 581 - 596
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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