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Divided attention and memory: evidence of substantial interference effects at retrieval and encoding
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. myra@psych.utoronto.ca
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|June 27, 2000
Summary
Divided attention (DA) during memory retrieval causes interference when tasks compete for word-specific systems. During encoding, DA interferes with general resources regardless of task type.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Memory
Background:
- Divided attention (DA) research explores cognitive load and task interference.
- Understanding how attention impacts memory encoding and retrieval is crucial for learning and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential effects of divided attention on memory encoding versus retrieval.
- To determine the specific cognitive resources and representational systems involved in attention-related memory interference.
Main Methods:
- Five experiments involving 24 student participants each.
- Participants performed visual distracting tasks (word recognition, monitoring) during auditory word list encoding or oral free recall.
- Interference effects were measured based on task performance and accuracy.
Main Results:
- Divided attention during retrieval showed greater interference with word-based tasks than digit-monitoring tasks.
- Divided attention during encoding consistently produced significant interference, irrespective of the distracting task.
- Retrieval interference is specific to word-representational systems, while encoding interference involves general resources.
Conclusions:
- Memory interference mechanisms differ between encoding and retrieval stages.
- Retrieval interference is modulated by the specificity of competing task demands on representational systems.
- Encoding interference is primarily driven by competition for general cognitive resources.