Interference between maintenance and processing in working memory: the effect of item-distractor similarity in...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Computational Neuroscience
• Memory Research

Background:

• Complex span tasks assess working memory capacity.
• Distractor items can interfere with memory recall.
• Phonological similarity is a known factor influencing memory performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of phonological similarity between to-be-remembered items and distractors on complex span performance.
• To test predictions made by the C-SOB computational model of memory.

Main Methods:

• Four experiments were conducted using complex span tasks.
• The timing of distractor presentation (before or after target items) was manipulated.
• Phonological similarity between items and distractors was varied.

Main Results:

• Item-distractor phonological similarity improved serial recall when distractors followed target items.
• This benefit was not observed when distractors preceded target items.
• Distractor intrusions at recall occurred at the target item's list position.
• Intruding distractors tended to replace phonologically similar target items.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the C-SOB model's assumption of involuntary distractor encoding associated with list position.
• Distractor interference occurs via representational superposition, with similarity reducing distortion.
• Both superposition and lack of distinctiveness contribute to memory interference in complex span tasks.