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Active maintenance in working memory reinforces bindings for future retrieval from episodic long-term memory
Vanessa M Loaiza1,2, Alessandra S Souza3,4
1Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, 219 Portobello, Sheffield, S1 4DP, UK. v.loaiza@sheffield.ac.uk.
Memory & Cognition
|July 5, 2024
Summary
More time actively maintaining information in working memory (WM) benefits long-term memory (LTM) retention, but only when intentionally encoding. This suggests WM’s role in LTM relies on its binding capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Theories suggest active maintenance in working memory (WM) predicts long-term memory (LTM) retention.
- Increased time for WM maintenance is often assumed to improve LTM encoding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if extended time for intentional WM maintenance directly enhances LTM.
- To explore the specific role of WM time in memory binding and item retention.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments used simple, slow, and complex span tasks with varying time intervals for word sequence encoding.
- Participants engaged in intentional (serial recall) or incidental (no-recall) encoding tasks.
- Bayesian cognitive models were applied to differentiate item and binding memory.
Main Results:
- Extended time in WM specifically benefited binding memory, but only under intentional encoding conditions.
- No significant benefits for item memory were observed, regardless of encoding type or time.
- The findings highlight a time-dependent advantage for binding within WM during intentional encoding.
Conclusions:
- Time spent intentionally maintaining information in WM is crucial for LTM, particularly for memory binding.
- Working memory's contribution to LTM is linked to its capacity for maintaining bindings.
- These results refine our understanding of the relationship between WM processes and LTM formation.
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