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Bartsch LM, Musfeld P. Delayed memory for complex visual stimuli does not benefit from distraction during encoding. Mem Cognit 2023:10.3758/s13421-023-01471-x. [PMID: 37775710 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01471-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The covert retrieval model (McCabe, Journal of Memory and Language 58(2), 480-494, 2008) postulates that delayed memory performance is enhanced when the encoding of memoranda in working memory (WM) is interrupted by distraction. When subjects are asked to remember stimuli for an immediate memory test, they usually remember them better when the items are presented without distraction, compared to a condition in which a distraction occurs following each item. In a delayed memory test, this effect has been shown to be reversed: Memory performance is better for items followed by distraction than without. Yet, this so-called McCabe effect has not been consistently replicated in the past. In an extensive replication attempt of a previous study showing the effect for complex visual stimuli, we investigated five potential boundary conditions of the predictions of the covert retrieval model: (1) Type of Stimuli (doors vs. faces), (2) type of distractor (pictures vs. math equations), (3) expectation about task difficulty (mixed vs. blocked lists), (4) memory load in WM (small vs. large), and (5) expectation about the long-term memory (LTM) test (intentional vs. incidental encoding). Across four experiments we failed to replicate the original findings and show that delayed memory for faces and other complex visual stimuli does not benefit from covert retrieval during encoding - as suggested as being induced by distractors. Our results indicate that the transfer of information from WM to LTM does not seem to be influenced by covert retrieval processes, but rather that a fixed proportion of information is laid down as a more permanent trace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea M Bartsch
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Philipp Musfeld
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Lugtmeijer S, Geerligs L, de Leeuw FE, de Haan EHF, Kessels RPC. Are visual working memory and episodic memory distinct processes? Insight from stroke patients by lesion-symptom mapping. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1713-1726. [PMID: 33914126 PMCID: PMC8203519 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Working memory and episodic memory are two different processes, although the nature of their interrelationship is debated. As these processes are predominantly studied in isolation, it is unclear whether they crucially rely on different neural substrates. To obtain more insight in this, 81 adults with sub-acute ischemic stroke and 29 elderly controls were assessed on a visual working memory task, followed by a surprise subsequent memory test for the same stimuli. Multivariate, atlas- and track-based lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) analyses were performed to identify anatomical correlates of visual memory. Behavioral results gave moderate evidence for independence between discriminability in working memory and subsequent memory, and strong evidence for a correlation in response bias on the two tasks in stroke patients. LSM analyses suggested there might be independent regions associated with working memory and episodic memory. Lesions in the right arcuate fasciculus were more strongly associated with discriminability in working memory than in subsequent memory, while lesions in the frontal operculum in the right hemisphere were more strongly associated with criterion setting in subsequent memory. These findings support the view that some processes involved in working memory and episodic memory rely on separate mechanisms, while acknowledging that there might also be shared processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Lugtmeijer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Erik de Leeuw
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Roy P. C. Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Vincent Van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognition, Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology, Radboud University, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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3
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Lorenc ES, Mallett R, Lewis-Peacock JA. Distraction in Visual Working Memory: Resistance is Not Futile. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:228-239. [PMID: 33397602 PMCID: PMC7878345 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over half a century of research focused on understanding how working memory is capacity constrained has overshadowed the fact that it is also remarkably resistant to interference. Protecting goal-relevant information from distraction is a cornerstone of cognitive function that involves a multifaceted collection of control processes and storage mechanisms. Here, we discuss recent advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that have produced new insights into the nature of visual working memory and its ability to resist distraction. We propose that distraction resistance should be an explicit component in any model of working memory and that understanding its behavioral and neural correlates is essential for building a comprehensive understanding of real-world memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Lorenc
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Remington Mallett
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Wu T, Chen C, Spagna A, Wu X, Mackie M, Russell‐Giller S, Xu P, Luo Y, Liu X, Hof PR, Fan J. The functional anatomy of cognitive control: A domain‐general brain network for uncertainty processing. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1265-1292. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wu
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
| | - Caiqi Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of PsychologySouth China Normal University Guangzhou China
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of PsychologyColumbia University in the City of New York New York New York
| | - Xia Wu
- Faculty of PsychologyTianjin Normal University Tianjin China
| | - Melissa‐Ann Mackie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago Illinois
| | - Shira Russell‐Giller
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive NeuroscienceShenzhen University Shenzhen China
| | - Yue‐jia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive NeuroscienceShenzhen University Shenzhen China
| | - Xun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | - Jin Fan
- Department of Psychology, Queens CollegeThe City University of New York Queens New York
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5
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Refresh my memory: Episodic memory reinstatements intrude on working memory maintenance. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:338-354. [PMID: 30515644 PMCID: PMC6420448 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-00674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental question in memory research is how different forms of memory interact. Previous research has shown that people rely on working memory (WM) in short-term recognition tasks; a common view is that episodic memory (EM) only influences performance on these tasks when WM maintenance is disrupted. However, retrieval of memories from EM has been widely observed during brief periods of quiescence, raising the possibility that EM retrievals during maintenance—critically, before a response can be prepared—might affect short-term recognition memory performance even in the absence of distraction. We hypothesized that this influence would be mediated by the lingering presence of reactivated EM content in WM. We obtained support for this hypothesis in three experiments, showing that delay-period EM reactivation introduces incidentally associated information (context) into WM, and that these retrieved associations negatively impact subsequent recognition, leading to substitution errors (Experiment 1) and slowing of accurate responses (Experiment 2). FMRI pattern analysis showed that slowing is mediated by the content of EM reinstatement (Experiment 3). These results expose a previously hidden influence of EM on WM, raising new questions about the adaptive nature of their interaction.
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Vogt KM, Norton CM, Speer LE, Tremel JJ, Ibinson JW, Reder LM, Fiez JA. Memory for non-painful auditory items is influenced by whether they are experienced in a context involving painful electrical stimulation. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:1615-1627. [PMID: 30941440 PMCID: PMC6586482 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05534-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we sought to examine the effect of experimentally induced somatic pain on memory. Subjects heard a series of words and made categorization decisions in two different conditions. One condition included painful shocks administered just after presentation of some of the words; the other condition involved no shocks. For the condition that included painful stimulations, every other word was followed by a shock, and subjects were informed to expect this pattern. Word lists were repeated three times within each condition in randomized order, with different category judgments but consistent pain-word pairings. After a brief delay, recognition memory was assessed. Non-pain words from the pain condition were less strongly encoded than non-pain words from the completely pain-free condition. Recognition of pain-paired words was not significantly different than either subgroup of non-pain words. An important accompanying finding is that response times to repeated experimental items were slower for non-pain words from the pain condition, compared to non-pain words from the completely pain-free condition. This demonstrates that the effect of pain on memory may generalize to non-pain items experienced in the same experimental context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith M Vogt
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Caroline M Norton
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lauren E Speer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joshua J Tremel
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James W Ibinson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lynne M Reder
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julie A Fiez
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Manohar SG, Pertzov Y, Husain M. Short-term memory for spatial, sequential and duration information. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017; 17:20-26. [PMID: 29167809 PMCID: PMC5678495 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Analog report methods provide novel insights on STM for space and time. Space and time may be used to bind features in STM. The hippocampus is involved in object-location binding in STM.
Space and time appear to play key roles in the way that information is organized in short-term memory (STM). Some argue that they are crucial contexts within which other stored features are embedded, allowing binding of information that belongs together within STM. Here we review recent behavioral, neurophysiological and imaging studies that have sought to investigate the nature of spatial, sequential and duration representations in STM, and how these might break down in disease. Findings from these studies point to an important role of the hippocampus and other medial temporal lobe structures in aspects of STM, challenging conventional accounts of involvement of these regions in only long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay G Manohar
- Dept Experimental Psychology and Nuffield Dept of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Dept of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masud Husain
- Dept Experimental Psychology and Nuffield Dept of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The working memory (WM) literature contains a number of tasks that vary on dimensions such as when or how memory items are reported. In addition to the ways in which WM tasks are designed to differ, tasks may also diverge according to the strategies participants use during task performance. The present study included seven tasks from the WM literature, each requiring short-term retention of verbal items. Following completion of a small number of trials from each task, individuals completed a self-report questionnaire to identify their primary strategy. Results indicated substantial variation across individuals for a given task, and within the same individual across tasks. Moreover, while direct comparisons between tasks showed that some tasks evinced similar patterns of strategy use despite differing task demands, others showed markedly different patterns of self-reported strategy use. A community detection algorithm, aimed at identifying groups of individuals based on their profile of strategic choices, revealed unique communities of individuals who are dependent on specific strategies under varying demands. Together, the findings suggest that researchers using common WM paradigms should very carefully consider the implications of variation in strategy use when interpreting their findings.
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Abstract
Progress in understanding the relation between brain profiles and emotions is being slowed by the belief in a collection of basic emotional states, with the names: fear, anger, joy, disgust, and sadness, that do not specify the species or age of the experiencing agent, the origin of the state, or the evidence used to infer it. This article evaluates critically the premise that decontextualized emotional words refer to natural kinds. It also suggests that investigators set aside the currently popular words and search for relations, in humans and animals, between patterns of measures to varied incentives presented in distinctive contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Kagan
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, USA
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10
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van Driel J, Gunseli E, Meeter M, Olivers CNL. Local and interregional alpha EEG dynamics dissociate between memory for search and memory for recognition. Neuroimage 2017; 149:114-128. [PMID: 28132933 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention during visual search is thought to be guided by an active visual working memory (VWM) representation of the search target. We tested the hypothesis that a VWM representation used for searching a target among competing information (a "search template") is distinct from VWM representations used for simple recognition tasks, without competition. We analyzed EEG from 20 human participants while they performed three different VWM-based visual detection tasks. All tasks started with identical lateralized VWM cues, but differed with respect to the presence and nature of competing distractors during the target display at test, where participants performed a simple recognition task without distractors, or visual search in pop-out (distinct) and serial (non-distinct) search displays. Performance was worst for non-distinct search, and best for simple recognition. During the one second delay period between cue and test, we observed robust suppression of EEG dynamics in the alpha (8-14Hz) band over parieto-occipital sites contralateral to the relevant VWM item, both in terms of local power as well as interregional phase synchrony within a posterior-parietal network. Importantly, these lateralization dynamics were more strongly expressed prior to search compared to simple recognition. Furthermore, before the VWM cue, alpha phase synchrony between prefrontal and mid-posterior-parietal sites was strongest for non-distinct search, reflecting enhanced anticipatory control prior to VWM encoding. Directional connectivity analyses confirmed this effect to be in an anterior-to-posterior direction. Together, these results provide evidence for frontally mediated top-down control of VWM in preparation of visual search.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eren Gunseli
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Meeter
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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