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Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
Benjamin Pearson1, Julius Raskevicius, Paul M Bays
1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK.
Journal of Vision
|February 5, 2014
Summary
Retrieving information from working memory (WM) involves a decision process influenced by memory quality. As memory precision declines with increased load, retrieval time lengthens, supporting a unified model of WM operations.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Working memory (WM) is crucial for cognition, but its underlying mechanisms are debated.
- Existing models often treat encoding, maintenance, and retrieval as distinct processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and test a novel framework for WM retrieval as a decision process based on internal evidence quality.
- To investigate the relationship between WM precision, memory load, and retrieval time distributions.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a task requiring them to report changes in visual stimuli after a delay.
- Memory load, item relevance, and maintenance duration were manipulated.
- Reaction time distributions were analyzed to assess the decision process.
Main Results:
- WM precision decreased as memory load increased.
- Retrieval time systematically increased with decreasing WM precision.
- Reaction time distributions aligned with a linear accumulator decision model.
Conclusions:
- WM retrieval can be understood as a decision based on noisy, internal evidence.
- Encoding, maintenance, and retrieval may be unified operations on a shared neural representation.
- This provides a decision-making framework for understanding WM mechanisms.
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