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Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

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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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

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Does the Experimenter Presence Affect Verbal Working Memory?

Valérie Camos1, Jonathan Jubin1,2, Clément Belletier3

  • 1Université de Fribourg, Département de Psychologie, Fribourg, Switzerland.

Journal of Cognition
|September 8, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The presence of an experimenter impairs working memory, especially during concurrent articulation tasks. However, memory performance is unaffected when participants are silent or perform no secondary task.

Keywords:
Attentional MaintenanceConcurrent ArticulationExperimenter PresenceWorking Memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Experimenter presence can hinder cognitive performance, particularly executive functions.
  • Previous research indicated a detrimental effect on working memory only during aloud concurrent articulation.
  • Contradictory findings suggest potential improvements in executive functions with experimenter presence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reassess the impact of experimenter presence on working memory.
  • To investigate the role of concurrent articulation and secondary tasks.
  • To replicate and extend Belletier and Camos' (2018) findings on a larger sample.

Main Methods:

  • A within-subject design was employed, comparing participants alone versus in the presence of an experimenter.
  • Participants performed a Brown-Peterson task with letter maintenance over 12 seconds.
  • Concurrent articulation (silent, aloud, whispered) and secondary tasks (none, parity, location judgment) were manipulated.

Main Results:

  • Experimenter presence significantly hindered memory performance when participants engaged in concurrent articulation and a secondary task.
  • The detrimental effect was observed across all types of concurrent articulation (silent, aloud, whispered).
  • Memory recall was preserved from the experimenter's effect in silent conditions or when no secondary task was performed.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support the detrimental effect of experimenter presence on working memory under specific conditions.
  • Concurrent articulation and secondary tasks mediate the impact of social presence on cognitive performance.
  • Minimizing social cues (silence, no secondary task) can mitigate the negative effects of experimenter presence.