University of Stirling

Stirling

FK9 4LA
Scotland

UK

   I graduated from the University of Edinburgh with my PhD in Cognitive Psychology and then lead several government-funded projects on working memory and learning at the University of Durham. I moved to the University of Stirling in 2008.

   I am interested in how working memory impacts learning in typically developing children, as well as in those with ADHD, Autism, Language Impairments, Dyspraxia, and Learning Disabilities. I have numerous international collaborations to investigate whether assessments of working memory are culture-fair, or if a child’s background, as indexed by language, culture, and income differences, mediates the relationship between working memory and learning. I have been an invited keynote at various conferences, including educational conventions across the US, the Advanced Piaget Course in Geneva, and the International Congress of Dyslexia in Brazil. I am also an Advisor to the World Bank on the impact of memory and learning in deprived populations.

   I was recently awarded the prestigious Joseph Lister Award by the British Science Association for my contribution in disseminating scientific knowledge to the public. I write a weekly blog on working memory. READ

TRAINING WORKING MEMORY: In a recent study, I found that IQ, grades, and working memory can be improved by training working memory MORE. EMAIL me if you are an educator and would like information on CPD or INSET days. SEE TOPICS.

DIAGNOSING WORKING MEMORY: I have published two standardized working memory tests.

• The Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA) includes tests of verbal and visuo-spatial short-term and working memory. It is easy to use with automated presentation and scoring, and creates standardised working memory and learning profiles. This has been translated into 15 languages. DEMO
• The Working Memory Rating Scale is a behavior checklist for the classroom. MORE

WORKING MEMORY & ADHD: I am interested in how working memory impacts learning in those with ADHD.

WORKING MEMORY & DYSPRAXIA (DCD): My research demonstrates that those with Dyspraxia have poor visual/spatial working that impairs their learning. While physical exercises like Brain Gym can improve motor skills, there is no improvement in learning. I am currently examining the efficacy of working memory training to support learning in those with Dyspraxia.

WORKING MEMORY & AUTISTIC SPECTRUM (AS): In my research, I found that high functioning individuals with AS struggle with verbal short-memory tasks that may be linked to difficulties in language and communication. I am currently involved in a project with the Autism Treatment Trust to investigate the benefits of working memory training in AS.

DEVELOPMENT OF WORKING MEMORY: I am interested in how working memory develops from childhood to adulthood.

HERITABILITY OF WORKING MEMORY: Are we born with our working memory? I am currently examining this issue in large-scale twin study.

DIABETES AND WORKING MEMORY: I am looking at the effect of the intrauterine environment that a child of a mother with Type 1 diabetes is exposed to and its impact on the child’s working memory.

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON WORKING MEMORY: Is Twitter making us twits but Facebook helping our working memory? PARTICIPATE to find out more.

WORKING MEMORY ACROSS CULTURES: How does our culture affect the way we learn? I am involved in a range of projects with colleagues in Europe, South America, Asia, and South Africa to understand how culture and working memory interact to impact learning.

MY RESEARCH IN THE NEWS:  My research has attracted international interest from the media and has been featured on TV, Radio, in print, and online. Read a selection

TEST BATTERIES

• Alloway, T.P. (2007). The Automated Working Memory Assessment. London: Psychological Corporation (also in Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Berber, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Irish). MORE
• Alloway, T.P., et al. (2008). The Working Memory Rating Scale. London: Psychological Corporation. MORE

BOOKS & BOOK CHAPTERS

• Alloway, T.P. (2010). Improving Working Memory. London: Sage Press.
• Alloway, T.P. (in press). Working memory in development: links with learning between typical and atypical populations. In P. Barrouillet & V. Gaillaird (Eds). Cognitive Development and Working Memory: From Neo-Piagetian to Cognitive Approaches. Hove, England: Psychology Press.
• Alloway, T.P. (2006). Working memory and children with developmental co-ordination disorders. In T.P. Alloway & S.E. Gathercole (Eds). Working memory and neurodevelopmental conditions, pp. 161-187. Psychology Press. MORE
• Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006, Editors). Working memory and neurodevelopmental conditions. Psychology Press. MORE
• Cowan, N., & Alloway, T.P. (2008). The development of working memory in childhood. In N. Cowan (Ed). Development of Memory in Childhood, 2nd edition, pp. 303-342. Psychology Press. MORE
• Gathercole, S.E. & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory and learning: A practical guide. London: Sage Publications (also in Danish, Japanese, & Indonesian). MORE
• Gathercole, S.E., & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory and classroom learning. In K. Thurman & K. Fiorello, (Eds.) Applied Cognitive Research in K-3 Classrooms. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. MORE
• Gathercole, S.E., Lamont, E., & Alloway, T.P. (2006). Working memory in the classroom. In S. Pickering (Ed.). Working memory and education, pp. 219 -240. Elsevier Press. MORE
• Gathercole, S. & Alloway, T.P. (2007).Understanding working memory: A classroom guide. Pearson Assessment.
• Swanson, L. & Alloway, T.P.  (in press). Working Memory, Learning, and Academic Achievement. In K. Harris,T. Urdan, &  S. Graham (Eds). APA Educational Psychology Handbook, Vol 1.
• Weiss, L. & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory and IQ. L.G. Weiss, D.H. Saklofske, A. Prifitera, James A. Holdnack (Eds.), WISC-IV Advanced Clinical Interpretation: Basics and Beyond, 2nd edition, pp. 3-68. Academic Press. MORE
  

SELECTED JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Alloway, T.P. & Alloway, R. G. (in press). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Elliott, J., & Holmes, J. (in press). The prevalence of ADHD-like symptoms in a community sample. Journal of Attention Disorders.
• Alloway, T.P., Elliott, J., & Place, M. (in press). Exploring the link between attention and working memory in clinical and community samples. Child Neuropsychology
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., & Elliott, J. (in press). Classroom behavior and learning outcomes: Is there a link? Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.
• Alloway, T.P., Kerr, I., & Langheinrich (in press). The effect of articulatory suppression and manual tapping in serial recall. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology.
• Holmes, J., Gathercole, S.E., Place, M., Alloway, T.P., & Elliott, J. (2010). An assessment of the diagnostic utility of executive function assessments in the identification of ADHD in children. Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 15, 37-43.
• Visu-Petra, L, Cheie, L, Benga, O, & Alloway, T.P. (in press). Effects of anxiety on simple retention and memory updating in young children. International Journal of Behavioral Development.
• Alloway, T.P. (2009). Working memory, but not IQ, predicts subsequent learning in children with learning difficulties. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25, 92-98. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Holmes, J., Place, M., & Elliott, J. (2009). The diagnostic utility of behavioral checklists in identifying children with ADHD and children with working memory deficits. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 40, 353-366. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E, Kirkwood, H.J., & Elliott, J.E. (2009). The cognitive and behavioural characteristics of children with low working memory. Child Development, 80, 606-621. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E, Kirkwood, H.J., & Elliott, J.E. (2009). The Working Memory Rating Scale: A classroom-based assessment. Learning and Individual Differences, 19, 242-245 . READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Rajendran, G., & Archibald, L.M. (2009). Working memory profiles of children with developmental disorders. Journal of Learning Difficulties, 42, 372-383. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., & Archibald, L.M. (2008). Working Memory and Learning in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and Specific Language Impairment. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41, 251-262. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E, Kirkwood, H.J., & Elliott, J.E. (2008). Evaluating the validity of the Automated Working Memory Assessment. Educational Psychology, 7, 725-234. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., & Warner, C. (2008).The Effect of Task-Specific Training on Learning and Memory in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 107, 473-480. READ
• Archibald, L.M. & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Comparing Language Profiles: Children with Specific Language Impairment and Developmental Coordination Disorder. International Journal of Communication and Language Disorders, 43, 165-180. READ DOI
• Gathercole, S.E, Alloway, T.P., Kirkwood, H.J., & Elliott, J.E. (2008). Attentional and executive function behaviors in children with poor working memory. Learning and Individual Differences, 18, 214-223. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P. (2007). Working Memory, Reading and Mathematical Skills in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 96, 20-36. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P. (2007). What can phonological and semantic information tell us about the mechanisms of immediate sentence recall? Memory, 15, 605-615. READ
• Alloway, T.P. & Temple, K.J.  (2007). A Comparison of Working Memory Profiles and Learning in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and Moderate Learning Difficulties. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21, 473-487. READ
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., & Pickering, S.J. (2006). Verbal and visuo-spatial short-term and working memory in children: Are they separable? Child Development, 77, 1698-1716. READ
• Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006). How does working memory work in the classroom? Educational Research and Reviews, 1, 134-139. READ
• Gathercole, S.E, & Alloway, T.P. (2006). Working memory deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 4-15. READ
• Gathercole, S.E., Alloway, T.P., Willis, C., & Adams, A.M. (2006). Working memory in children with reading disabilities. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 93, 265-281. (in the TOP 10 Cited list by Scopus) READ
• Alloway, T.P., Corley, M., & Ramscar, M. (2006). Seeing ahead: Experiences and language in spatial perspective. Memory & Cognition, 34, 380-386. READ
• Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005). The role of sentence recall in reading and language skills of children with learning difficulties. Learning and Individual Differences, 15, 271-282. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005). Working memory and short-term sentence recall in young children. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 17, 207-220. READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Willis, C., & Adams, A.M. (2005). Working memory and special educational needs. Educational and Child Psychology, 22, 56-67. READ
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Adams, A.M., & Willis, C., Eaglen, R., & Lamont, E. (2005). Working memory and other cognitive skills as predictors of progress towards early learning goals at school entry. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 23, 417-426. READ
• Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E., Willis, C., & Adams, A.M. (2004). A structural analysis of working memory and related cognitive skills in early childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 87, 85-106. (in the TOP 10 Cited list by Scopus) READ DOI
• Alloway, T.P. & Corley, M. (2004). Speak before you think: The role of language in verb concepts. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 4, 319-346. READ

PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Alloway, T.P. (2009). Working memory in secondary-aged students: diagnosis and support. Learning and Teaching Update, 29, 4-5.
• Alloway, T.P. (2009). Cogntivie Training: Improvements in Academic Attainment. Professional Association for Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (PATOSS), 22, 57-61.
• Alloway, T.P. (2009). Working memory: screening and support. Thinking & Creativity Magazine.
• Alloway, T.P. (2008). Effective screening tools for children with working memory impairments BERA. READ
• Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory: The New IQ. Professional Association for Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (PATOSS), 21, 9-10.
• Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory in children with dyspraxia. Dyspraxia Review.
• Alloway, T.P. (2008). Working memory in children with ADHD. Independant Schools Council.
• Alloway, T.P. (2008). ADHD and working memory. Independant Schools Council.
• Elliott, J., Alloway, T.P., Gathercole, S.E. (2008). In temporary storage. Special, May issue, 8-11.
• Gathercole, S.E., Elliott, J., & Alloway, T.P. (2008). Identifying &  supporting poor working memory. Dyslexia Review, 19, 4-8.
• Alloway, T.P. (2006). Making ‘working memory’ work in the classroom. Early Years Update, Issue 42, 9-11. Alloway, T.P. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005). Working memory impacts learning. Teaching, Thinking & Creativity, 18, 48-51.
• Alloway, T.P. & Temple, K.J.  (2005). A comparison of working memory profiles of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and Moderate Learning Difficulties. Dyspraxia Review, 4, 29-42.
• Gathercole, S.E, & Alloway, T.P. (2004). Working memory and classroom learning.  Dyslexia Review, 15, 4-9.
• Gathercole, S.E, & Alloway, T.P. (2004). Working memory and classroom learning.  PATOSS, 17, 2-12.