Abstract: Frick (1984) found that using both an auditory and a visual short-term store increased digit span, but only under conditions that the visual stimuli were simultaneously presented, and the report order was inverted. ln the present new 4 experiments Corsi ' s Block tapping in which the stimuli were serially displayed and auditory digits were used to measure the mixed-modality span under normal report- Order Condition. lt is clear that the mixed-mode span was significantly higher than digit span or Corsi ' s span in Experiments 1, 2, and 4 and it is higher than that of Frick, s, it suggested that the two necessary conditions in Frick ' s experiments were not always needed and the new method may he useful for exploring the central executive of Working memory The effects of patterns of display of the stimuli of two modalities and the manner of report (separated vs mixed modalities) were compared.

Key words: mixed-modality span, working memory, central executive system, pattent of presentation of stimuli, manner of report