考生工作记忆对综合写作测试表现的影响

The Effect of Test-takers' Working Memory on Their Performance in the Integrated Writing Task

本研究聚焦读听写结合的综合写作任务,探究考生工作记忆对其综合写作测试表现的影响,包括文本特征和写作得分两个方面。研究以64名考生为对象,以听力广度、运算广度和阅读广度任务为工作记忆容量指标,以托福考试总分为二语水平指标,提取考生作文的文本特征,包括词汇复杂度、句法复杂度、准确度、流利度和源文本使用,并通过三位评分员的整体评分得出考生的综合写作得分。结果表明:1)考生的工作记忆容量与词汇复杂度、准确度和源文本使用显著相关,与句法复杂度和流利度的相关性不显著;2)考生的工作记忆容量对写作得分没有显著的直接影响,但通过二语水平有显著的间接影响。研究结果深化了我们对综合写作测试构念的理解,为综合写作测试分数的解释和使用提供了效度证据。

This study is an attempt to investigate the effect of test-takers' working memory on their performance in the integrated reading-listening-writing task,focusing on textual features and writing scores.A total of 64 participants completed three working memory span tasks,that is,the listening span task,the operation span task,and the reading span task.Test-takers' scores on the TOEFL iBT were used as an indicator of their L2 proficiency.Textual features of test-takers' writing responses were extracted,including lexical complexity,syntactic complexity,accuracy,fluency,and source use,and their integrated writing scores were the average of three raters ' holistic ratings.Results showed that 1) test-takers ' working memory capacity was significantly correlated with lexical complexity,accuracy,and source use,but not with syntactic complexity or fluency;2) test-takers 'working memory capacity did not have a significant direct effect on writing scores,but its indirect effect through L2 proficiency was significant.Findings of this study help to deepen our understanding of the construct of integrated writing testing,and provide validity evidence for the interpretation and use of integrated writing scores.