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An Electrophysiological Dissociation of Encoding vs. Maintenance Failures in Visual-Spatial Working Memory.
Jutta S Mayer1,2, Sebastian Korinth1, Benjamin Peters3,4
1Department of Psychology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 9, 2020
Summary
This study reveals how working memory (WM) errors occur. Confident errors stem from encoding failures, while less confident errors suggest issues with maintaining information in working memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Psychology
Background:
- Individual differences in working memory (WM) performance are significant.
- The specific WM component processes limiting performance are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of distinct working memory error types.
- To explore the functional dissociation between encoding and maintenance failures in WM.
Main Methods:
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) were analyzed during a spatial WM task.
- Participants performed a delayed orientation-discrimination task with confidence ratings.
- Specific ERP components (N2pc, contralateral delay activity) were examined.
Main Results:
- The N2pc component, linked to encoding, was reduced in confident errors, indicating encoding failure.
- Contralateral delay activity, related to maintenance, was similar for confident errors and correct responses.
- Early contralateral delay activity was decreased in not-confident errors, suggesting compromised maintenance.
Conclusions:
- Electrophysiological data support a dissociation between WM encoding and maintenance failures.
- Confident errors reflect encoding limitations, while not-confident errors may involve maintenance deficits.
- These findings refine our understanding of WM capacity and performance limitations.
