title: The contribution of temporary storage and executive processes to category learning.
abstract: Three distinctly different working memory processes, temporary storage, mental shifting and inhibition, were proposed to account for individual differences in category learning. A sample of 213 participants completed a classic category learning task and two working memory tasks that were experimentally manipulated for tapping specific working memory processes. Fixed-links models were used to decompose data of the category learning task into two independent components representing basic performance and improvement in performance in category learning. Processes of working memory were also represented by fixed-links models. In a next step the three working memory processes were linked to components of category learning. Results from modeling analyses indicated that temporary storage had a significant effect on basic performance and shifting had a moderate effect on improvement in performance. In contrast, inhibition showed no effect on any component of the category learning task. These results suggest that temporary storage and the shifting process play different roles in the course of acquiring new categories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Education, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xuezhu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: K.Schweizer@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schweizer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Category learning; Executive processes; Fixed-links model; Temporary storage