Dr Emily Freeman

Exposure to early life stress has been linked to impairment in cognitive functioning in adulthood. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on the relationship between early life stress and working memory, a central component of cognitive functioning. Database searches yielded 358 abstracts matching the search terms. Abstract screening followed by full-text review resulted in 26 publications suitable for inclusion, of which 23 were included in the meta-analysis. Results of the meta-analysis suggested exposure to early life stress was associated with poorer working memory. Even though there were a wide variety of working memory tasks used, this effect was significant for both phonological and visuospatial working memory tasks, and both visual and aural task presentation modalities. The effect was also found in samples with and without clinical psychopathology. This review provides recommendations for future research and implications for clinical practice.

Low working memory (WM) capacity has been linked to poor academic performance and problem behavior. Availability of easy-to-administer screening tests would facilitate early detection of WM deficits. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Working Memory Power Test for Children (WMPT) in 170 Australian schoolchildren (8½-11 years). Reliability (internal consistency) and validity of WMPT accuracy scores were examined. WMPT accuracy predicted achievement in reading, numeracy, and spelling. The results provide preliminary evidence of reliability and validity that supports interpretation of the WMPT accuracy score. With additional research, the WMPT could be valuable as an easy-to-administer screener for WM deficits.

Children assessed as having low working memory capacity have also been shown to perform more poorly than their same-aged peers in measures of academic achievement. Early detection of working memory problems is, therefore, an important first step in reducing the impact of a working memory deficit on the development of academic skills. In this study, we compared a single-test assessment, the Working Memory Power Test for Children (WMPT) and a multi-test assessment, the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA), in their ability to predict academic achievement in reading, numeracy, and spelling. A total of 132 Australian school children (mean age 9¿years, 9¿months) participated in the research. Strong positive correlations between the WMPT and AWMA total scores were found, indicating good convergent validity of the single and multi-test measures. WMPT scores correlated with each of the four AWMA subtests designed to assess verbal and visuospatial short-term and working memory. WMPT and AWMA scores separately predicted performance on Word Reading, Numerical Operations, and Spelling. Compared with either measure alone, the WMPT and the AWMA in combination predicted more of the variance in Word Reading and Numerical Operations, but not in Spelling. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how accuracy and confidence in working memory performance relates to academic achievement as assessed in the Australian national curriculum assessment (National Assessment Program¿Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)). Method: A total of 150 Australian schoolchildren enrolled in Year 4 participated in the study. Accuracy and confidence in performance of a working memory task were assessed. Associations between these working memory measurements and scores in each of the NAPLAN domains (numeracy, reading, persuasive writing, grammar, and spelling) were examined, separately for males and females. Results: Accuracy in working memory performance was associated with achievement in all five NAPLAN domains, in both males and females. Confidence in working memory performance was also related to achievement, but the pattern of results differed for males and females. For females, significant associations were found between confidence and achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, and spelling. For males, confidence was associated with achievement in numeracy only. Females outperformed males in persuasive writing. There was a non-significant trend for males to outperform females in numeracy. Conclusion: The strong links between working memory and achievement highlight the importance of early detection of working memory problems. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which the pattern of results generalises to other year levels.

The relationship between metacognitive monitoring of working memory performance and academic achievement was examined in 73 Grade 4 children. Working memory was assessed using the Working Memory Power Test (WMPT) for children. Metacognitive monitoring was assessed by confidence ratings and two calibration measures, the Bias Index and the Absolute Accuracy Index, calculated from WMPT scores. Children also completed the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Australian Abbreviated (WIAT-II). Regression analyses showed the Bias Index was the best metacognitive monitoring calibration measure for predicting academic achievement. These findings extend previous research in two important ways. Firstly, we have shown that Grade 4 children have metacognitive monitoring abilities. Secondly, we have demonstrated that children are able to metacognitively monitor their working memory performance and that the calibration of this monitoring is related to their academic achievement.

Unintentional injury is an important cause of infant and child hospitalisation and parents play a key role in reducing children's risk-taking behaviour. Studies show that maternal and paternal parenting and supervision of children differ, but there is little research showing how fathers¿ parenting may influence children's tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviour. Recent theoretical developments suggest that father's parenting may be particularly effective in encouraging safe risk taking. In this study, we examine how well parenting practices typically undertaken by fathers predict rates of children's injury risk at three years. Questionnaire data were collected from 46 fathers. Results show that both duration of rough-and-tumble play and fathers¿ encouragement of perseverance predicted lower rates of injury behaviours, while their stimulation of risk taking predicted higher rates of injury behaviours. The results are discussed in the light of developmentally appropriate risk taking and fathering.

Energetic, competitive, body-contact play (rough and tumble play (RTP)) is commonly observed among young children and is reported as an important feature of father-child relationships. Animal studies have demonstrated positive developmental effects of peer-peer play-wrestling, influencing cognitive and social outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of RTP between father and child and its relationship to child development and to describe a theoretically informed measure of the quality of father-child RTP. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.