Overloading working memory makes adults behave like children.
Overloading adults’ working memory causes them to behave like children, with similar attention problems.
Why it matters
- Shows why children are easily distracted: underdeveloped working memory.
- Suggests children’s distractible behavior isn’t a flaw but a natural consequence of developing memory.
By the numbers
- Study involved 40 5-year-old children and 71 adults.
- Adults with overloaded working memory behaved like children in attention tasks.
The big picture
- Children’s tendency to distribute attention may help them learn more flexibly.
- Findings could inform teaching strategies for young children.
What they're saying
- Personal anecdotes relate to the study’s findings on attention and working memory.
Caveats
- Study focused on a specific task and may not generalize to all situations.
What’s next
- Further research could explore how these findings apply to educational settings.