Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Impact of Military Foot Marches on Performance-Part 2: Cognitive Performance.

Journal of strength and conditioning research·2026
Same author

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Impact of Military Foot Marches on Performance-Part 1: Physical Performance.

Journal of strength and conditioning research·2026
Same author

Mind-Wandering or Task-Unrelated Thought Reports May Be a Response to Performance Not a Cause of Performance: Using Forced Errors to Impact Thought Content Reports.

Human factors·2025
Same author

A Way Forward for Sustained Attention Research: Insights from the Deep Past.

Annual review of psychology·2025
Same author

Does being away with the fairies really matter? The importance of thought content for task performance on a Go-No-Go target detection task.

Applied ergonomics·2025
Same author

The impact of snap-to-target on speed and accuracy in a Go/No-Go target detection task.

Applied ergonomics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice
07:47

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

Visuospatial and verbal working memory load: effects on visuospatial vigilance.

William S Helton1, Paul N Russell

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. deak.helton@canterbury.ac.nz

Experimental Brain Research
|November 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Concurrent working memory tasks, both verbal and visuospatial, impair performance on vigilance tasks. Visuospatial memory tasks caused a steeper decline in vigilance performance and greater interference than verbal tasks, suggesting domain-specific interference.

More Related Videos

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

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

Published on: July 16, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice
07:47

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

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

Published on: July 16, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Working memory and vigilance are crucial cognitive functions.
  • Understanding their interaction is key to cognitive load theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how concurrent verbal and visuospatial working memory demands affect visuospatial vigilance task performance.
  • To determine if domain-specific interference occurs when tasks share modalities.

Main Methods:

  • 304 participants completed a visuospatial vigilance task.
  • Participants simultaneously performed either a spatial or verbal working memory task with varying memory loads.
  • Perceptual sensitivity (A') and memory performance were measured.

Main Results:

  • Concurrent memory loads (verbal and visuospatial) reduced perceptual sensitivity to vigilance targets.
  • The vigilance decrement was more pronounced with visuospatial memory tasks compared to verbal ones.
  • Visuospatial tasks showed greater interference, especially when paired with the visuospatial vigilance task.

Conclusions:

  • Both verbal and visuospatial working memory loads impact vigilance, suggesting shared executive resources.
  • Domain-specific interference is evident, particularly when both vigilance and memory tasks are visuospatial.
  • These findings highlight the complex interplay between different working memory domains and sustained attention.