MEMORY SPANS FOR DIGITS AND WORDS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the possible factors that may give rise to a difference in memory span between digits and words, and more importantly and specifically, the Digit Superiority Effect (DSE). The DSE is: the memory span for digits is larger than the memory span for the monosyllabic words, even when there are no corresponding differences in the pronunciation duration between digits and the monosyllabic words. The results of my experiment indicate that: firstly, Baddeley's phonological loop hypothesis cannot fully explain the DSE and it also cannot fully account for the difference in memory spans between digits and words; and secondly, it cannot fully account for the difference in memory spans between words of different pronunciation duration. Finally, it is at present still inconclusive as to whether Crossman's constant-information content hypothesis can fully account for the DSE (and thus, by extension, any general difference in memory spans between digits and words).