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Age differences in working memory updating: the role of interference, focus switching and substituting information
Cristina Lendínez1, Santiago Pelegrina1, M Teresa Lechuga1
1Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, Spain.
Acta Psychologica
|March 11, 2015
Summary
Focus switching in working memory updating improves with age, with children taking longer than adolescents and adults. Information substitution and representational overlap interference remain consistent across development.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Human Cognition
Background:
- Working memory updating (WMU) involves maintaining, accessing, and substituting information.
- Developmental changes in WMU, particularly focus switching and interference, are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in focus switching and information substitution within working memory.
- To examine how representational overlap affects working memory performance across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- A numerical updating memory task was used to assess working memory updating.
- Participants included children (8- and 11-year-olds), adolescents (14-year-olds), and young adults (mean age=22).
- Updating and focus switching demands were manipulated within the task.
Main Results:
- Response times decreased and recall performance increased with age.
- Focus switching time was significantly longer in children compared to adolescents and adults.
- Information substitution and interference due to representational overlap were not significantly affected by age.
Conclusions:
- Age-related improvements in focus switching appear to be a key factor in overall working memory updating development.
- The ability to substitute information and manage representational overlap is mature by childhood.
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