Memory and subjective workload assessment

Recent research suggested subjective introspection of workload is not based upon specific retrieval of information from long term memory, and only reflects the average workload that is imposed upon the human operator by a particular task. These findings are based upon global ratings of workload for the overall task, suggesting that subjective ratings are limited in ability to retrieve specific details of a task from long term memory. To clarify the limits memory imposes on subjective workload assessment, the difficulty of task segments was varied and the workload of specified segments was retrospectively rated. The ratings were retrospectively collected on the manipulations of three levels of segment difficulty. Subjects were assigned to one of two memory groups. In the Before group, subjects knew before performing a block of trials which segment to rate. In the After group, subjects did not know which segment to rate until after performing the block of trials. The subjective ratings, RTs (reaction times) and MTs (movement times) were compared within group, and between group differences. Performance measures and subjective evaluations of workload reflected the experimental manipulations. Subjects were sensitive to different difficulty levels, and recalled the average workload of task components. Cueing did not appear to help recall, and memory group differences possibly reflected variations in the groups of subjects, or an additional memory task

School based working memory training: Preliminary finding of improvement in children’s mathematical performance

Working memory is a complex cognitive system responsible for the concurrent storage and processing of information. Ggiven that a complex cognitive task like mental arithmetic clearly places demands on working memory (e.g., in remembering partial results, monitoring progress through a multi-step calculation), there is surprisingly little research exploring the possibility of increasing young children’s working memory capacity through systematic school-based training. Tthis study reports the preliminary results of a working memory training programme, targeting executive processes such as inhibiting unwanted information, monitoring processes, and the concurrent storage and processing of information. Tthe findings suggest that children who received working memory training made significantly greater gains in the trained working memory task, and in a non-trained visual-spatial working memory task, than a matched control group. Moreover, the training group made significant improvements in their mathematical functioning as measured by the number of errors made in an addition task compared to the control group. Tthese findings, although preliminary, suggest that school-based measures to train working memory could have benefits in terms of improved performance in mathematics

Illusory correlation, group size and memory

Two studies were conducted to test the predictions of a multi-component model of distinctiveness-based illusory correlation (IC) regarding the use of episodic and evaluative information in the production of the phenomenon. Extending on the standard paradigm, participants were presented with 4 groups decreasing in size, but all exhibiting the same ratio of positive to negative behaviours. Study 1 (N = 75) specifically tested the role of group size and distinctiveness, by including a zero-frequency cell in the design. Consistent with predictions drawn from the proposed model, with decreasing group size, the magnitude of the IC effect showed a linear in- crease in judgments thought to be based on evaluative information. In Study 2 (N = 43), a number of changes were introduced to a group assignment task (double presentation, inclusion of decoys) that allowed a more rig- orous test of the predicted item-specific memory effects. In addition, a new multilevel, mixed logistic regression approach to signal-detection type analysis was used, providing a more flexible and reliable analysis than previ- ously. Again, with decreasing group size, IC effects showed the predicted monotonic increase on the measures (group assignment frequencies, likability ratings) thought to be dependent on evaluative information. At the same time, measures thought to be based on episodic information (free recall and group assignment accuracy) partly revealed the predicted enhanced episodic memory for smaller groups and negative items, while also supporting a distinctiveness-based approach. Additional analysis revealed that the pattern of results for judg- ments though to be based on evaluative information was independent of interpersonal variation in behavioral memory, as predicted by the multi-component model, and in contrast to predictions of the competing models. The results are discussed in terms of the implications of the findings for the proposed mechanisms of illusory correlation

Memory and comprehension deficits in spatial descriptions of children with non-verbal and reading disabilities

open4The present study investigated the difficulties encountered by children with non-verbal learning disability (NLD) and reading disability (RD) when processing spatial information derived from descriptions, based on the assumption that both groups should find it more difficult than matched controls, but for different reasons, i.e., due to a memory encoding difficulty in cases of RD and to spatial information comprehension problems in cases of NLD. Spatial descriptions from both survey and route perspectives were presented to 9-12-year-old children divided into three groups: NLD (N = 12); RD (N = 12), and typically developing controls (TD; N = 15); then participants completed a sentence verification task and a memory for locations task. The sentence verification task was presented in two conditions: in one the children could refer to the text while answering the questions (i.e., text present condition), and in the other the text was withdrawn (i.e., text absent condition). Results showed that the RD group benefited from the text present condition, but was impaired to the same extent as the NLD group in the text absent condition, suggesting that the NLD children's difficulty is due mainly to their poor comprehension of spatial descriptions, while the RD children's difficulty is due more to a memory encoding problem. These results are discussed in terms of their implications in the neuropsychological profiles of children with NLD or RD, and the processes involved in spatial descriptions.openIrene C. Mammarella;Chiara Meneghetti;Francesca Pazzaglia;Cesare CornoldiMammarella, IRENE CRISTINA; Meneghetti, Chiara; Pazzaglia, Francesca; Cornoldi, Cesar

Effect of Modality on Transfer of Linguistic Stimuli from Short-Term to Long Term Memory: Evidence on Immediate and Delayed Recall

Memory is considered as an important cognitive domain found to be important in our daily-walks of life. Short term and long term memory are considered as the main variants under memory. The information in short term memory is prone to be transferred to the long term memory through attention, practice, rehearsal. The current study aims to investigate the effect of modality on transfer of linguistic stimuli from short to long term memory. 20 neuro-typical Tamil speaking participants were recruited for the study. The participants were divided into two groups based on random sampling. Auditory task was administered on the first group where the participants were presented with sentences and were asked to remember the key/content word. While auditory plus visual task was administered on the second group of participants. Recall of key/content words was tested at the level of immediate and delayed recall conditions. On immediate recall condition, there was no difference between the two groups but on delayed recall condition, modality of stimulus presentation had a significant role as the group presented with auditory stimulus performed well compared to the group presented with auditory plus visual modalitie

A new integrated model for multitasking during web searching

Investigating multitasking information behaviour, particularly while using the web, has become an increasingly important research area. People s reliance on the web to seek and find information has encouraged a number of researchers to investigate the characteristics of information seeking behaviour and the web seeking strategies used. The current research set out to explore multitasking information behaviour while using the web in relation to people s personal characteristics, working memory, and flow (a state where people feel in control and immersed in the task). Also investigated were the effects of pre-determined knowledge about search tasks and the artefact characteristics. In addition, the study also investigated cognitive states (interactions between the user and the system) and cognitive coordination shifts (the way people change their actions to search effectively) while multitasking on the web. The research was exploratory using a mixed method approach. Thirty University students participated; 10 psychologists, 10 accountants and 10 mechanical engineers. The data collection tools used were: pre and post questionnaires, pre-interviews, a working memory test, a flow state scale test, audio-visual data, web search logs, think aloud data, observation, and the critical decision method. Based on the working memory test, the participants were divided into two groups, those with high scores and those with lower scores. Similarly, participants were divided into two groups based on their flow state scale tests. All participants searched information on the web for four topics: two for which they had prior knowledge and two more without prior knowledge. The results revealed that working memory capacity affects multitasking information behaviour during web searching. For example, the participants in the high working memory group and high flow group had a significantly greater number of cognitive coordination and state shifts than the low working memory group and low flow group. Further, the perception of task complexity was related to working memory capacity; those with low memory capacity thought task complexity increased towards the end of tasks for which they had no prior knowledge compared to tasks for which they had prior knowledge. The results also showed that all participants, regardless of their working memory capacity and flow level, had the same the first frequent cognitive coordination and cognitive state sequences: from strategy to topic. In respect of disciplinary differences, accountants rated task complexity at the end of the web seeking procedure to be statistically less significant for information tasks with prior knowledge compared to the participants from the other disciplines. Moreover, multitasking information behaviour characteristics such as the number of queries, web search sessions and opened tabs/windows during searches has been affected by the disciplines. The findings of the research enabled an exploratory integrated model to be created, which illustrates the nature of multitasking information behaviour when using the web. One other contribution of this research was to develop new more specific and closely grounded definitions of task complexity and artefact characteristics). This new research may influence the creation of more effective web search systems by placing more emphasis on our understanding of the complex cognitive mechanisms of multitasking information behaviour when using the web

Typicality and Familiarity Effects in Children\u27s Memory: the Interaction of Processing and the Knowledge Base.

Third- and sixth-graders and adults participated in an experiment based upon Hunt and Einstein\u27s (1981) theory which relates study activities or processing task to subsequent memory performance. Participants performed a processing task designed to emphasize either relational or item-specific information. In addition, the information about the words available in each subject\u27s knowledge base was measured in two ways: relational information was assessed with a typicality rating task and item-specific information was assessed with an attribute listing task. The experiment consisted of three phases. In the first phase subjects performed one of two processing tasks on a list containing typical, atypical and unfamiliar exemplers of a semantic category. One group of subjects sorted the words into categories (the relational task) the other group rated the words for pleasantness (the item-specific task). In the second phase, subjects\u27 memory for the words was tested on a free recall test. In the third phase the knowledge base assessment tasks were performed. The knowledge base measures indicated: the relative amount of relational versus item-specific information available for typical, atypical and unfamiliar words is different for each type of word and that amount of relational and item-specific information in the knowledge base changes with age. As predicted by the theory, recall was influenced by the interaction of word type with processing task. Finally, parallels between free recall results and the knowledge base measures indicated that knowledge base development interacts with the processing task to influence what is recalled by subjects at the three age levels

Enhancing Organizational Memory Through Virtual Memoryscapes: Does It Work?

Enhancing cognitive memory through virtual reality represents an issue, that has never been investigated in organizational settings. Here, we compared a virtual memoryscape (treatment) – an immersive virtual environment used by subjects as a shared memory tool based on spatial navigation – with respect to the traditional individual-specific mnemonic tool based on the “method of loci” (control). A memory task characterized by high ecological validity was administered to 82 subjects employed by large banking group. Memory recall was measured, for both groups, immediately after the task (Phase 1) and one week later (Phase 2). Results show that (i) in Phase 1, the method of loci was more efficient in terms of recalling information than the to the virtual memoryscape; (ii) in Phase 2, there was no difference. Compared to the method of loci, the virtual memoryscape presents the advantages – relevant for organizations – of being collective, controllable, dynamic, and non-manipulable

WORKING MEMORY ABILITIES IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate possible differences on working memory abilities between children with Autism spectrum disorder and typical children. The potential facilitating effect of verbal mediation on working memory was investigated measuring children’s ability to use language-based encoding and rehearsal processes to enhance working memory. Method: Participants were divided into two groups: a group of 26 children diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (16 boys and 10 girls) and to a group of 25 typical controls (17 boys and 8 girls) matched on non-verbal intelligence. Examination of working memory was based on non-verbal variants of the non-spatial, self-ordered pointing test (SOPT) devised by Petrides and Milner (1982). Both the Verbal Span Test and the Self-ordered tests were performed to the participants. Results: The resulting profile on memory abilities in children with autism was characterized by relatively poor memory for complex verbal and visual test. The different pattern of memory performance between the two groups indicates that the more complex the task and the information being processed, the more taxed the resources of the memory system become. Discussion: The results provide useful information to take into consideration when designing interventions for children with Autism spectrum disorder in clinical and educational settings.   Article visualizations