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Dissociating retention and access in working memory: an age-comparative study of mental arithmetic
K Oberauer1, A Demmrich, U Mayr
1Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Germany. ko@rz.uni-potsdam.de
Memory & Cognition
|March 30, 2001
Summary
Concurrent memory load did not affect arithmetic task performance for younger or older adults. However, retrieving digits from memory significantly impaired arithmetic, especially for older adults in a two-step retrieval process.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- Cognitive tasks often require both processing and memory retrieval.
- Understanding how concurrent memory load affects cognitive performance is crucial.
- Aging can impact cognitive functions, including working memory and processing speed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of concurrent memory load on arithmetic task performance in young and older adults.
- To examine the role of working memory access in cognitive interference.
- To determine if age affects the interference caused by working memory access.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted involving young and older adults.
- Participants solved arithmetic chain tasks with varying memory loads (screen vs. memory set).
- Performance was measured by speed and accuracy of arithmetic calculations.
Main Results:
- Task-irrelevant concurrent memory load did not impair arithmetic speed or accuracy in either age group.
- Substituting variables with digits from memory significantly decreased arithmetic performance.
- Older adults showed greater difficulty with two-step memory substitution compared to younger adults and single-step substitution.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive interference occurs primarily at the point of working memory access, not from a general resource limitation.
- Working memory access interference is a critical factor in task performance.
- The detrimental effects of working memory access interference on cognitive tasks are not significantly influenced by adult aging.
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