Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
13.6K
Exploring the dynamic interplay between learning and working memory within various cognitive contexts
Zakieh Hassanzadeh1, Fariba Bahrami2, Fariborz Dortaj1
1Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|February 29, 2024
Summary
Working memory and reinforcement learning decline with age, impacting cognitive tasks. Computational models reveal differences in learning rates and decision noise between age groups and cognitive statuses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- The interplay between reinforcement learning (RL) and working memory (WM) is crucial for cognitive functions.
- Understanding how these systems interact is key to explaining task performance and cognitive decline.
- Previous research has focused on individual systems or their combined roles in specific tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally model the relationship between RL and WM using the RLWM framework.
- To analyze how age and cognitive status affect behavioral parameters in an RLWM task.
- To identify specific neural and behavioral markers associated with cognitive aging and impairment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the RLWM computational model to analyze behavioral data.
- Assessed subjects across different age groups (young, middle-aged).
- Measured cognitive status using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool.
Main Results:
- Performance accuracy and speed decreased with age.
- Significant differences were found in learning rate, WM decay, and decision noise across age groups.
- Middle-aged individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) showed distinct patterns in speed, accuracy, and decision noise compared to cognitively normal individuals.
Conclusions:
- Age-related cognitive decline impacts both reinforcement learning and working memory processes.
- The RLWM model effectively captures behavioral differences related to aging and cognitive status.
- Decision noise emerges as a key parameter differentiating normal aging from MCI.
More Related Videos
09:05Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
29.7K
07:01Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
4.7K
Related Concept Videos
01:24Working Memory
165
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...
165
01:30Information Processing Approach
37
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...
37
01:27Language and Cognition
345
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
345
01:26Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
773
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
773
01:21Cognitive Learning
240
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
240
01:16Interference and Decay
140
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...
140