The role of verbal short-term memory in task selection: How articulatory suppression influences task choice in voluntary task switching

The role of verbal short-term memory in task selection: How articulatory suppression influences task choice in voluntary task switching

The roles of verbal short-term memory (vSTM) in task selection and task performance processes were examined when individuals were asked to voluntarily choose which of two tasks to perform on each trial randomly. Consistent with previous voluntary task-switching (VTS) research, we hypothesized that v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychonomic bulletin & review Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 334 - 340
Main Authors: Weywadt, Christina R. B., Butler, Karin M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01-04-2013
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Accuracy
Adolescent
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Brief Report
Choice Behavior - physiology
Cognition & reasoning
Cognition. Intelligence
Cognitive Psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heuristic
Human
Humans
Influence
Inhibition (Psychology)
Learning. Memory
Male
Memory
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Miscellaneous
Multitasking
Phonetics
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reaction Time
Task Performance and Analysis
Young Adult
Articulatory suppression
Task choice
Voluntary task switching
Verbal short-term memory
Human
Verbal memory
Choice
Language
Short-term memory
Task switching
Cognition
Experimental study
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Summary:The roles of verbal short-term memory (vSTM) in task selection and task performance processes were examined when individuals were asked to voluntarily choose which of two tasks to perform on each trial randomly. Consistent with previous voluntary task-switching (VTS) research, we hypothesized that vSTM would support random task selection by maintaining a sequence of previously executed tasks that would be used by a representativeness heuristic. Furthermore, because using a representativeness heuristic requires sufficient time for updating and comparison processes, we expected that vSTM would have a greater effect on task selection when more time was available. Participants completed VTS under concurrent articulatory suppression and foot tapping at short and long response-to-stimulus intervals (RSIs). Task selection in VTS was more repetitive under suppression than under foot tapping, but this effect did not vary with RSI, suggesting that vSTM does not maintain the sequence of executed tasks to guide task selection. Instead, vSTM is critical for maintaining the intended task and ensuring that it is carried out. In contrast to the finding that a working memory load impairs task performance, we found no difference in reaction times and no switch costs between suppression and foot-tapping conditions, suggesting that vSTM is not critical for task performance.
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ISSN:1069-9384
1531-5320
DOI:10.3758/s13423-012-0349-0