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Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

155
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...
155
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

134
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...
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Forgetting01:21

Forgetting

68
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...
68
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon01:10

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

136
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...
136
Retrieval01:12

Retrieval

108
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
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Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

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Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2025

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
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Task Termination Triggers Spontaneous Removal of Information From Visual Working Memory.

Hiroyuki Tsubomi1, Keisuke Fukuda2,3, Atsushi Kikumoto4

  • 1School of Humanities, University of Toyama.

Psychological Science
|June 24, 2024
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Summary

Visual working memory (WM) content is spontaneously removed when no longer needed, demonstrating WM

Keywords:
capacity limitdelay activityforgettingopen dataopen materialsworking memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) is crucial for goal-directed behavior, maintaining task-relevant information.
  • Previous research lacked direct evidence for spontaneous removal of WM content.
  • Strategic resource reallocation often confounds studies on WM maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide direct neural and behavioral evidence for the spontaneous removal of visual working memory content.
  • To investigate WM content removal independent of strategic resource reallocation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized neural and behavioral measures in 442 adult participants.
  • Designed experiments to isolate spontaneous WM content removal.
  • Assessed WM content less than 1 second after information became obsolete.

Main Results:

  • Visual working memory content is largely removed within 1 second of becoming obsolete.
  • This removal occurs spontaneously, without strategic resource reallocation.
  • Evidence supports the goal-directed nature of visual working memory.

Conclusions:

  • Visual working memory is an intrinsically goal-directed system.
  • Spontaneous removal of obsolete information is a key mechanism for capacity-limited WM.
  • This process enables WM to adapt to dynamic environmental demands.