Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 28, 2025
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
13.9K
Does working memory protect against auditory distraction in older adults?
Yatin Mahajan1,2, Jeesun Kim1, Chris Davis3,4
1The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
BMC Geriatrics
|December 1, 2020
Summary
Older adults use working memory to reduce distractions from irrelevant sounds, unlike younger adults. This finding highlights how working memory protects against auditory distractions in aging.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Auditory Perception
Background:
- Younger adults show reduced distraction from novel sounds during visual working memory tasks.
- It remains unclear if older adults benefit similarly from working memory to mitigate auditory distractions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether working memory provides a protective effect against auditory distractions in older adults.
- To compare the impact of working memory on auditory distraction processing in younger and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral and EEG responses were recorded in 16 younger and 16 older adults.
- Participants performed two visual tasks: one requiring working memory (W1) and one not (W0).
- Auditory distractors (novel sounds vs. standard tones) were presented using an oddball paradigm.
Main Results:
- Older adults exhibited faster correct response times and no increased errors in the W1 task compared to W0 when presented with novel sounds.
- EEG analysis revealed reduced N1 amplitude and attenuated P3a amplitude in older adults during the W1 task.
- Younger adults showed no task effect on response times but made more errors in the W1 task with novel sounds; their N1 and P3a amplitudes were unaffected by the working memory manipulation.
Conclusions:
- Older adults effectively engage working memory to suppress the processing of task-irrelevant auditory stimuli.
- Working memory plays a crucial role in modulating auditory distraction in older age, offering protection against novel sounds.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Working Memory
589
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...
589
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
565
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
565
01:16Interference and Decay
313
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...
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
313
01:22Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory
439
Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of...
439
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
805
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...
805