How Do Novice and Skilled Writers Engage Working Memory?

doi:10.1017/9781108955638.028

23 - How Do Novice and Skilled Writers Engage Working Memory?

from Part IV - First Language Processing

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 July 2022

Thierry Olive

Edited by

John W. Schwieter and

Zhisheng (Edward) Wen

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John W. Schwieter: Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University
Zhisheng (Edward) Wen: Affiliation:
Hong Kong Shue Yan University

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Summary

The high working memory demands of writing are now well documented across the development of writing as well as in expert writing. The limited capacity of working memory of beginning writers and their effortful untrained writing processes indeed constrain learning to write. In experienced writers, operations of the writing processes are more complex and therefore continue to heavily engage working memory. In this frame, this chapter describes the theoretical models of the writing processes that describe the role of working memory. It then reviews research that examined how writing and the writing processes engage working memory. It is shown that managing the planning, translating, and revising processes involve the executive and nonexecutive components of working memory for storing verbal and visual spatial information that is processed during writing.

Keywords

Writing cognitive effort executive and nonexecutive working memory verbal and visual spatial processing

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of Working Memory and Language , pp. 504 - 526

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108955638.028 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2022

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