RUI: Executive Control of Working Memory: Prioritization Based on Value

University Of Tampa, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

Certain information is critical to remember, like a doctor’s care instructions or the name of a new colleague, whereas other information would be better to disregard, such as outdated or irrelevant information. This project assesses how people prioritize information within working memory, which is the temporarily maintained and manipulated information that one is currently thinking about in one’s mind. The ability to prioritize information in memory requires strategic mental processing and is an example of an executive control process. Similar to how an executive of a company oversees the behaviors of employees, executive control processes are used to regulate and plan one’s own thoughts and behaviors. This project systematically evaluates the executive control of working memory based on the designated value or importance of the information. This has implications for future applied research, such as treatment for psychological disorders (e.g., PTSD) or classroom learning strategies. The University of Tampa is a primarily undergraduate institution, and the project bolsters undergraduate research experiences and preparation for graduate school, broadening participation in research experiences. In collaboration with the Glazer Children’s Museum, this project creates an interactive exhibit that will educate thousands of children and caregivers about memory and executive control, exposing children to psychological science at an early age. Undergraduate students assist with experiments designed to understand the consequences, mechanisms, and contextual requirements of prioritizing information within working memory, when importance cues are provided after initial studying. Prior research has examined how selective attention can be used to prioritize encoding based on attentional goals. However, less research has been conducted to understand prioritization once information has already entered working memory. Participants study a small number of words presented on a computer screen that are arbitrarily assigned high, low, or negative values, but only after the words are initially studied. Following a brief delay of several seconds, memory is tested. Results determine if participants’ responses are faster and more accurate for high-value information held within working memory, and if high-value information is more susceptible to proactive interference, a type of memory interference in which familiar, recent information intrudes. Proactive interference measurement provides a novel window into the persisting strength of high-, low-, and negative-value working memory representations. Specifically, this project (1) evaluates the consequences of arbitrarily-assigned value on working memory strength and interference, (2) tests theoretical mechanisms of value-directed remembering in working memory, including assessing differential rehearsal and active control accounts, and (3) determines the influence of working memory capacity limitations on working memory prioritization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.