Sambandet mellan social kompetens och arbetsminne

The purpose of this study was to observe if social competence is dependent on working memory-capacity, in particular the capacity of the working memory to handle emotionally significant information. A working memory test was used that places demands on the participant to both work with and store the given information. Social competence was measured by a questionnaire (SCI) that includes two dimensions of social competence (prosocial behaviour and social initiative). In the study 48 children participated. Because of the extensive progress of the cognitive processes in the middle childhood we studied 24 sixth graders (mean age = 142 months) and 24 third graders (mean age = 108 months). The results confirm a correlation between social initiative and general working memory capacity in the younger age group, p < 0.01. In this age group, there were also positive correlations between both aspects of social competence and the ability to handle positive emotional information in working memory, p < 0.05. These findings remained significant even after controlling for individual differences in general intelligence