Abstract

This study addresses the current debate about the beneficial effects of text processing software on students with different working memory (WM) during the process of academic writing, especially with regard to the ability to display higher-level conceptual thinking. A total of 54 graduate students (15 male, 39 female) wrote one essay by hand and one by keyboard. Our results show a beneficial effect of text processing software, in terms of both the qualitative and quantitative writing output. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to detect distinct performance groups in the sample. These performance groups mapped onto three differing working memory profiles. The groups with higher mean WM scores manifested superior writing complexity using a keyboard, in contrast to the cluster with the lowest mean WM. The results also point out that more revision during the writing process itself does not inevitably reduce the quality of the final output.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2017-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088317714232
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
OA PDF Green
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Computers and Composition
  2. Written Communication

References (85) · 7 in this index

  1. 10.3758/BF03192780
  2. 10.22237/jmasm/1367380860
  3. Working memory
  4. 10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2
  5. 10.1016/S0079-7421(08)60452-1
Show all 85 →
  1. 10.3102/00346543063001069
  2. 10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00281.x
  3. 10.2307/27740364
  4. 10.1207/s15326942dn2901_5
  5. Instruction and assessment for struggling writers: Evidence-based practices
  6. Handbook of writing research
  7. 10.53841/bpsecp.2003.20.3.19
    Educational and Child Psychology  
  8. 10.1007/s11145-013-9446-3
  9. Assessing Writing
  10. 10.2307/357975
  11. Current Psychology of Cognition
  12. Assessing Writing
  13. Eye and pen: User manual, version 1.1
  14. 10.1348/0007099042376373
  15. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences
  16. 10.3758/BF03196772
  17. 10.3758/s13423-016-1191-6
  18. 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2004.12.001
  19. 10.1016/S0022-5371(80)90312-6
  20. 10.1037/0278-7393.9.4.561
  21. Developmental complexity and writing modality
  22. 10.1207/s15326977ea0903&4_4
  23. 10.1016/S0885-2014(02)00162-4
  24. 10.3200/MONO.130.1.4-112
  25. The intersection of adult development and learning: A handbook of theory, research, and p…
  26. 10.1037/0033-295X.102.2.211
  27. 10.3758/BF03193146
  28. 10.1080/14640749408401119
  29. 10.1037/0033-295X.87.6.477
  30. Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development
  31. 10.2307/356630
  32. 10.2307/356600
  33. Perceiving, acting, and knowing: Toward an ecological psychology
  34. Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment
  35. 10.1177/001872088102300509
  36. 10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.445
  37. Research in the Teaching of English
  38. 10.2307/2346830
  39. Perspectives on writing: Research, theory, and practice
  40. Written Communication
  41. Horkay N., Bennett R. E., Allen N., Kaplan B., Yan F. (2006). Does it matter if I take my writing test on com…
  42. The science of writing: Theories, methods, individual differences, and applications
  43. Written Communication
  44. 10.2307/1593683
  45. 10.1111/j.1540-5826.2007.00251.x
  46. 10.1080/10790195.2010.10850331
  47. 10.1207/S15327051HCI172&3_2
  48. 10.1007/s11145-011-9348-1
  49. Journal of Writing Research
  50. 10.1201/9780203483374
  51. 10.1007/BF01464076
  52. 10.1207/S15326985EP3501_3
  53. Handbook of writing research
  54. 10.1177/1469787412441297
  55. 10.1177/0956797614524581
  56. 10.1027/1016-9040.9.1.32
  57. Journal of Writing Research
  58. Proceedings of EGC’2005, RNTI-E-3
  59. Theories, models and methodology in writing research
  60. Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning–Revised (WRAML-2). Administration and Techni…
  61. 10.1007/978-1-4419-5716-0_10
  62. Integral Review
  63. 10.1348/000711005X48266
  64. ScriptLog for windows: User’s manual
  65. 10.1016/0160-2896(93)90003-N
  66. Swanson-Cognitive Processing Test (S-CPT): A dynamic assessment measure
  67. 10.1006/jecp.1996.0054
  68. 10.1111/1467-9868.00293
  69. Purdue Pegboard examiner manual
  70. Purdue Pegboard test
  71. 10.4324/9781410600943
  72. TOWRE-2 Test of Word Reading Efficiency
  73. Handbook of writing research
  74. 10.1177/00222194020350040101
  75. 10.1007/s11145-006-9046-6
  76. 10.1016/j.lindif.2013.12.004
  77. Past, present, and future contributions of cognitive writing research to cognitive psychology
  78. 10.1016/S0378-2166(02)00121-2
  79. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition (WAIS-III)
  80. Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement