Measuring working memory control: validation of a paradigm combining maintenance and inhibition

This study introduces an integrative paradigm for assessing working memory control by combining cognitive inhibition and working memory tasks within a unified experimental framework. Traditional approaches often measure these executive functions separately, limiting ecological validity and underrepresenting their dynamic interplay in real-world cognition. We examined the predictive value of standard tasks, including the N-back, Stroop, and Stop Signal, for working memory control and its relation to set shifting. Participants were undergraduate psychology students (N = 238) in their third semester who completed a series of behavioural tasks as part of a Cognitive Psychology course, with voluntary consent for research use of their data. Findings revealed that performance on the N-back and Stroop tasks significantly predicted working memory control, supporting the notion that it arises from the interaction between active maintenance/manipulation and interference resolution. In contrast, the Stop Signal Task did not predict working memory control, highlighting the distinct contributions of cognitive inhibition over motor response inhibition in executive coordination. Furthermore, working memory control significantly predicted set shifting ability, with Stroop and N-back performance also indirectly predicting set shifting through their influence on working memory control. We also found that the relationship between cognitive inhibition, working memory, and set shifting differed according to working memory control capacity. Specifically, individuals with higher working memory control relied more on cognitive inhibition, whereas those with lower working memory control relied more on working memory ability to support set shifting performance. These results support a notion that inhibitory control and working memory can be assessed simultaneously within a single paradigm. Implications for theoretical models and future cognitive testing approaches are discussed.