Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of auditory working memory in children with abacus training

  • Miscellaneous
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Abacus involves remembering multiple numbers and calculations, and thus auditory working memory is getting trained. Hence, auditory working memory could be enhanced in children who practice working memory. In the present study, it is attempted to examine the difference in the auditory working memory of the children with abacus training and children without abacus training.

Methods

The study was carried out to compare the score and reaction time for digit forward test, digit backward, ascending digit span and descending digit span test in individuals with and without abacus training and to correlate the level of abacus training with the scores and reaction time for all the tests in individuals with abacus training. The participants were divided based on those with and without abacus training between the age of 9–13 years. The children with the abacus training group were taking intensive abacus training in the range of 2–4 years.

Results

The results of the study revealed that children with abacus training had significantly better reaction time and scores than children without abacus training with effect size between 0.73 and 0.91 which suggests a strong difference. The results also showed moderate to strong correlation (r = 0.53–0.84) between the abacus levels and scores and reaction time for the auditory working memory tests.

Conclusions

The results agree with previous studies, which also report superior auditory performance and enhanced auditory working memory in children with abacus training.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yathiraj A, Priyadarsini K (2009) Effect of training on dichotic CV and dichotic digit scores. J Indian Speech Hear Assoc 23:74–80

    Google Scholar 

  2. Musiek FE, Chermak GD (eds) (2013) Handbook of central auditory processing disorder, volume I: auditory neuroscience and diagnosis. Plural Publishing, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bhavya M, Kuriakose T, Priyadarshini S, Suresh N (2016) Evaluation of auditory working memory in abacus trained children using auditory N back test. Int J Sci Res 5(11):180–182

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kumar AU, Sandeep M (2013) Auditory cognitive training module. ARF funded departmental project submitted to All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore

  5. Baddeley A (2010) Working memory. Curr Biol 20(4):R136–R140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bhaskaran MY, Sengottaiyan A, Madhu SA, Ranganathan VA (2006) Evaluation of memory in abacus learners. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 50(3):225

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sokol SM, McCloskey M, Cohen NJ, Aliminosa D (1991) Cognitive representations and processes in arithmetic: inferences from the performance of brain-damaged subjects. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 17(3):355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Altiparmak K (2016) The teachers views on Soroban abacus training. Int J Res Educ Sci 2(1):172–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Elbert T, Pantev C, Wienbruch C, Rockstroh B, Taub E (1995) Increased cortical representation of the fingers of the left hand in string players. Science 270(5234):305–307

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge with gratitude Prof. M Pushpavathi, Director, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, for permitting to conduct the study at the institute. The authors also like to acknowledge the participant for co-operation.

Funding

There is no funding by any agency for the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, 570006, India

    Mansi Sinha Roy, Keerti Swarna & Prashanth Prabhu

Authors
  1. Mansi Sinha Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keerti Swarna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Prashanth Prabhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MSR was involved in study design, stimulus preparation, data collection, analysis of the data, interpretation and writing the manuscript; KS was involved in study design, data collection, analysis of the results and writing the manuscript; and PP was involved in concept development, study design, data collection, analysis of the results and writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Prashanth Prabhu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) Ethical Review board for carrying out the study. The manuscript adheres to the ethical standards according to the Declartion of Helsinki.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from the patient to participate in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Roy, M.S., Swarna, K. & Prabhu, P. Assessment of auditory working memory in children with abacus training. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 277, 1531–1536 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05840-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05840-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation