Accessing information in working memory: can the focus of attention grasp two elements at the same time?
Processing information in working memory requires selective access to a subset of working-memory contents by a focus of attention. Complex cognition often requires joint access to 2 items in working memory. How does the focus select 2 items? Two experiments with an arithmetic task and 1 with a spatial task investigate time demands for successive operations that involve 2 digits or 2 spatial positions, respectively. When both items used in an operation have been used in the preceding operation, latencies are shortened. No such repetition benefit (arithmetic) or a much smaller benefit (spatial) was found when only 1 item was repeated. The results rule out serial access to the 2 items, parallel access by expanding the focus, and parallel access by splitting the focus. They support the notion that 2 items are accessed by chunking them, so that they fit a focus limited to 1 chunk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).
Oberauer
Klaus
K
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, UK. k.oberauer@bristol.ac.uk
Bialkova
Svetlana
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D003118:Color Perception; D003662:Decision Theory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving; D011930:Reaction Time; D012691:Serial Learning; D055815:Young Adult