Vergauwe, E., von Bastian, C.C. orcid.org/0000-0002-0667-2460, Kostova, R. et al. (1 more author) (2022) Storage and processing in working memory : a single, domain-general resource explains multi-tasking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151 (2). pp. 285-301. ISSN 0096-3445
Abstract
An ongoing major debate centers around whether multitasking in working memory, that is, performing several mental activities at once, is supported by multiple specialized domain-specific or by a single-purpose domain-general cognitive resources. Working memory theories differ in their explanations and predictions about when performing two mental tasks causes performance failures, versus when two processes can be carried out concurrently with negligible cognitive costs. In particular, the predictions of domain-specific and domain-general views on working memory are in conflict with one another when it comes to the cognitive cost associated with concurrent verbal and visuospatial processing and storage tasks. Previous tests of these predictions using traditional methods have led to ambiguous and inconsistent conclusions, however. To make critical progress in this theoretical debate, we used a radically different approach combining Bayesian state-trace analysis with an experimental design fully crossing processing and storage tasks differing only in the domain of representation (verbal vs. visuospatial). Across two experiments, we show unambiguously that a single, domain-general factor can account for briefly maintaining verbal and visuospatial information in a multitasking scenario.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 American Psychological Association. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | working memory; domain-generality; multitasking; resources |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants SRG18R1\180622 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 16 Apr 2021 09:51 |
Last Modified: | 06 Apr 2022 16:00 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Psychological Association |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1037/xge0000895 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:172912 |