title: Humans and monkeys use different strategies to solve the same short-term memory tasks.
abstract: The neural mechanisms underlying human working memory are often inferred from studies using old-world monkeys. Humans use working memory to selectively memorize important information. We recently reported that monkeys do not seem to use selective memorization under experimental conditions that are common in monkey research, but less common in human research. Here we compare the performance of humans and monkeys under the same experimental conditions. Humans selectively remember important images whereas monkeys largely rely on recency information from nonselective memorization. Working memory studies in old-world monkeys must be interpreted cautiously when making inferences about the mechanisms underlying human working memory.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4415, USA.
authors.forename: John H
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0465-1022
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.affiliation: Global Risk Governance Program, Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.|DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, DVC Research Office, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
authors.forename: Barak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4415, USA.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masseau
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4415, USA bjr@ln.nimh.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8234-1540
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Richmond
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012201:Reward; D013045:Species Specificity; D013850:Thinking; D013997:Time Factors