Working memory, task switching, and executive control in the task span procedure.
Four experiments explored the task span procedure: Subjects received lists of 1-10 task names to remember and then lists of 1-10 stimuli on which to perform the tasks. Task span is the number of tasks performed in order perfectly. Experiment 1 compared the task span with the traditional memory span in 6 practiced subjects and found little difference. Experiment 2 compared the task span and the memory span in 64 unpracticed subjects and also found little difference. Experiment 3 compared practice with consistent and varied lists to address retrieval from long-term memory. Experiment 4 manipulated the number of task switches and found that it had little effect on task spans. The results suggest there is no trade-off between storage and task switching, which supports some theories of executive control and challenges others.
Logan
Gordon D
GD
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. gordon.logan@vanderbilt.edu
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011930:Reaction Time; D014825:Vocabulary; D014836:Volition