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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Effect of cognitive load on working memory forgetting in aging.

Christine Baumans¹, Stephane Adam, Xavier Seron

¹Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. chistine.baumans@uclouvain.be

Experimental Psychology

|May 24, 2012

Summary

Cognitive load (CL) manipulations did not reveal aging effects in working memory (WM) when time constraints were matched. Findings suggest CL alone doesn't fully explain WM forgetting, highlighting the need to study maintenance mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience of Aging

Background:

Functional approaches to working memory (WM) distinguish between maintenance and processing.
The cognitive load (CL) hypothesis suggests forgetting in WM is linked to processing speed and presentation rate.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate age-related differences in working memory maintenance and processing.
To test the cognitive load (CL) hypothesis by controlling processing speed in young and elderly adults.

Main Methods:

Participants (young and elderly) completed working memory tasks with controlled cognitive load (CL) manipulations.
Processing speed differences between age groups were managed through CL adjustments.

Main Results:

No significant aging effect on working memory performance was found when time constraints (CL) were equated between groups.
While large CL variations impacted performance, small CL manipulations did not affect elderly participants' working memory.

Conclusions:

Working memory forgetting is not entirely explained by the cognitive load (CL) hypothesis.
Further research should focus on restoration times and the specific mechanisms of memory refreshment within maintenance.