ABSTRACT
Most experiments on working memory have used rather simple tasks and materials (e.g., memory for lists of words) that hardly reflect the complexity of everyday situations. Although studying simple tasks in this way is informative at early stages of theory development, we must ask whether the models produced in this context can adequately account for performance in more complex and ecologically valid tasks such as text comprehension and remembering. In this chapter we review experiments that have adopted Baddeley’s original model of working memory (Baddeley, 1986; Baddeley & Logie, 1999), investigating its role in the construction of mental models derived from verbal descriptions, with a focus on spatial working memory. In most of the experiments considered, a dual-task paradigm is used to study the role of the working memory components in the processing of illustrated texts and spatial descriptions. Particular attention is given to descriptions of spatial environments, which present visuospatial information in verbal format. Overall, our findings indicate that the storing component of verbal working memory is involved when verbal material has to be processed, and that visuospatial working memory is involved as soon as visuospatial processing is required. Furthermore, the pattern of results is modulated by individual differences in the capacity of these storing components on one hand and in imagery and visuospatial abilities on the other. We argue that these studies open a window onto the interaction between verbal and visuospatial processes.
