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Is the focus of attention in working memory expanded through practice?
1Department of PsychologyUniversity of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. k.oberauer@bristol.ac.uk
Summary
Practice does not expand working memory focus beyond one item. A persistent time cost for switching items suggests the focus remains limited, challenging previous claims of expansion.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Working Memory Research
Background:
- Previous research suggested practice expands the focus of attention in working memory from 1 to 4 items.
- This claim was based on observed shifts in reaction time patterns over practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reinvestigate the claim that working memory focus expands with practice.
- To examine the persistent time cost associated with switching items in working memory.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified n-back paradigm to assess working memory performance.
- Employed improved counterbalancing schemes across experimental conditions.
Main Results:
- A time cost for switching items, indicative of a one-item focus, persisted despite practice.
- A continuously increasing slope of reaction times was observed even without practice.
Conclusions:
- The hypothesis that working memory focus expands through practice is questioned.
- Findings align with models differentiating a one-item focus from a larger direct-access region.