Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Effects of concurrent working memory load on distractor and conflict processing in a name-face Stroop task.
Ellen M M Jongen1, Lisa M Jonkman
1Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. E.Jongen@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Psychophysiology
|June 8, 2010
Summary
Working memory load impacts cognitive control by altering stimulus processing and conflict resolution. Higher working memory load reduced initial stimulus encoding but enhanced later conflict resolution mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Working memory (WM) plays a crucial role in cognitive control, influencing how individuals manage interference.
- Understanding the temporal dynamics of WM load on interference control is essential for elucidating executive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the time course of working memory (WM) load effects on interference control using electroencephalography (ERPs).
- To examine how varying WM loads modulate the processing of distracting information within a combined WM and Stroop task.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a combined task involving working memory (WM) maintenance and a Stroop paradigm with varying WM loads (0, 2, or 4 letters).
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the task, focusing on responses to congruent and incongruent distractor stimuli.
- Behavioral interference and ERP components (N170, N250, N450, P600) were analyzed in relation to WM load and distractor congruency.
Main Results:
- Behavioral interference was not significantly affected by working memory (WM) load.
- WM load reduced early stimulus encoding (N170, N250 amplitudes) irrespective of distractor congruency.
- Incongruent distractors elicited later ERP effects (N450, P600), indicating prolonged stimulus evaluation, conflict detection, and resolution.
- Working memory (WM) load increased the P600 component at frontal and parietal sites, suggesting enhanced top-down control for conflict resolution.
Conclusions:
- Working memory (WM) load modulates the neural mechanisms of interference control, primarily affecting later stages of conflict resolution rather than early behavioral interference.
- The findings suggest that increased WM load recruits prefrontal cortex (PFC)-driven top-down control to manage interference, particularly during demanding conflict resolution.
- This study highlights the dynamic interplay between working memory capacity and the neural processes underlying attentional control and cognitive flexibility.
