Journal Article

Short- and Long-Term Memory Tasks Predict Working Memory Performance, and Vice Versa

Hudson, Chelsea G., Gabel, Andrew J., Neath, Ian, Bireta, Tamra J., Saint-Aubin, Jean, Surprenant, Aimée M.

2019

Overview

The Brown-Peterson, operation span, and continual distractor tasks all require people to retain information while performing a distractor task. Scale Independent Memory, Perception, and Learning (SIMPLE), a local relative distinctiveness model, has been fit to aspects of each task and offers the same explanation for each: the distractor task serves to space the items out in time and memory performance depends on the relative distinctiveness of the target item at the time of recall. If this is correct, it follows that performance on all three tasks should correlate, even though the tasks have, at various times, been ascribed to different memory systems, short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory, respectively. We tested 190 subjects on all three tasks and found that performance on all three tasks is significantly correlated. We then fit the data from each task using SIMPLE. We argue that these results support the relative distinctiveness principle (Surprenant & Neath, 2009). We contrast SIMPLE with other models of the same tasks. Public Significance Statement Human memory has often been described as consisting of multiple stages such as short-term, working, and long-term memory. We argue that this leads researchers to ignore commonalities among different tasks and focus, instead, on their differences. The current study shows commonalities among three tasks that have been interpreted as tapping different memory systems, thus supporting the idea that general principles of memory can apply in some cases. Ultimately, our data provide a challenge to system theorists to develop a model that offers an in-depth account of a wide range of phenomena. Les tâches de Brown-Peterson, d'empan d'opération (OSPAN) et de distraction en continu requièrent toutes que nous retenions des informations en effectuant une tâche distractrice. Le modèle SIMPLE (mémoire, perception et apprentissage indépendants de l'échelle), un modèle du caractère distinctif relatif local, a été adapté aux aspects de chaque tâche et offre la même explication pour chacun : la tâche distractrice sert à espacer les items dans le temps et le rendement en termes de mémoire varie selon le caractère distinctif relatif de l'item cible au moment du rappel. Si cela est exact, il s'ensuit que le rendement des trois tâches corresponde, même si les tâches ont, à diverses reprises, été attribuées à différents systèmes de mémoire, la mémoire à court terme, la mémoire de travail et la mémoire à long terme, respectivement. Nous avons testé 190 sujets par rapport aux trois tâches et constaté que le rendement lors des trois tâches était étroitement lié. Nous avons ensuite adapté les données issues de chaque tâche au moyen du modèle SIMPLE. Nous prétendons que ces résultats confirment le principe du caractère distinctif relatif (Surprenant & Neath, 2009). Nous comparons le modèle SIMPLE avec d'autres modèles pour les mêmes tâches.

• Publisher: Educational Publishing Foundation,Canadian Psychological Association
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Ascription / Attention - physiology / Courts / Distinctiveness / Distraction / Experimental psychology / Female / Human / Humans / Learning / Long term / Long Term Memory / Male / Measures / Memory / Memory, Long-Term - physiology / Memory, Short-Term - physiology / Middle Aged / Models, Psychological / Prediction / Principles / Psychology / Recall / Recall (Learning) / Research methodology / Researchers / Short Term Memory / Task Complexity / Task performance / Task Performance and Analysis / Time Perception / Young Adult