| Summary: | Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2008. Psychology Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-70) Reber and Kotovsky (1997) claimed that even though learning to solve the Balls and Boxes puzzle is implicit, it is slowed by a secondary task, thus suggesting that implicit learning requires attentional capacity. In the present study, this suggestion and the degree to which implicit learning can be attributed to age-correlated changes were tested by comparing individuals differing in test-defined working memory (WM) capacity. Retrospective verbal reports, a move-selection test, and Trial 2 performance data all indicated that participants were unaware of their knowledge of the puzzle, suggesting implicit learning. However, speak-span scores did not correlate with performance measures on either the learning or transfer trial. It appears that in the absence of a secondary task, WM capacity did not affect learning or transfer in the Balls and Boxes puzzle. Moreover, inconsistent with Rebel's (1992, 1993) age-independent assumption, substantial developmental changes on performance were found when the children in the present study were compared to the adults in Reber and Kotovsky's (1997) study.
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