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

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

578
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
578
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

800
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
800
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

1.5K
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...
1.5K
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon01:10

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

663
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
663
Forgetting01:21

Forgetting

503
Forgetting is an intrinsic aspect of human memory, characterized by the gradual loss or inaccessibility of information over time. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneering psychologist, extensively studied this phenomenon and formulated the forgetting curve. This curve illustrates that memory loss occurs rapidly immediately after learning and then decelerates over time. Several mechanisms contribute to forgetting, including encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure, and interference.
Encoding...
503

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Genetic and Environmental Associations Between Processing Speed and Executive Functions Across Adolescence and Established Adulthood.

Behavior genetics·2026
Same author

Pyrrhotite-driven early-stage terrestrial alteration in Ryugu grains.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Cognitive dispersion in established adulthood: etiology and implications for cognitive aging.

Innovation in aging·2026
Same author

Young adult urbanicity, late midlife neighborhood disadvantage, and cognitive functioning in community-dwelling older men.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same author

Adolescent music engagement is associated with less alcohol consumption and substance experimentation 5-11 years later: A genetically informative study.

Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors·2026
Same author

Inflammation, mental health, and alcohol behaviors: Testing links leveraging a familial community sample.

Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
08:17

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

8.3K

Trait worry is associated with difficulties in working memory updating.

Daniel E Gustavson1, Akira Miyake1

  • 1a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder , CO , USA.

Cognition & Emotion
|July 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Trait worry impacts working memory (WM) updating, not just storage. This study shows trait worry specifically affects the ability to update information in WM, extending attentional control theory.

Keywords:
Trait worryanxietyexecutive functionworking memory updating

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

14.2K
Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

31.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
08:17

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

8.3K
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

14.2K
Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

31.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Trait worry, a facet of trait anxiety, may influence executive functions like working memory (WM).
  • Attentional Control Theory (ACT) posits anxiety doesn't impair WM updating in neutral contexts.
  • Prior research often used WM span tasks, emphasizing storage over updating, and rarely focused on trait worry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific effects of trait worry on the process of updating information in working memory (WM).
  • To test the hypothesis that trait worry, distinct from general anxiety or dysphoria, is associated with impaired WM updating.

Main Methods:

  • 116 participants completed a WM updating task involving memorizing and updating word lists.
  • The task required within-trial removal of items from WM representations.
  • Trait worry, anxious arousal, and dysphoria levels were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Trait worry levels were not associated with general word-span performance (storage capacity).
  • Higher trait worry was significantly related to poorer performance on trials requiring effective WM updating.
  • These effects were specific to trait worry and not observed for anxious arousal or dysphoria.

Conclusions:

  • Trait worry is specifically linked to deficits in the updating component of working memory.
  • Findings extend Attentional Control Theory (ACT) by highlighting a specific mechanism through which trait worry impacts executive functions.
  • The results underscore the importance of distinguishing between different facets of anxiety and their specific cognitive consequences.