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Does inhibition spread in a manner analogous to spreading activation?
E Neumann1, J F Cherau, K L Hood
1Department of Psychology, Middlebury College, VT 05753, USA.
Memory (Hove, England)
|June 1, 1993
Summary
This study investigated inhibitory selective attention in working memory. Findings support a limited capacity for spreading inhibition, complementing spreading activation models.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Information Processing
Background:
- Selective attention mechanisms in working memory are crucial for cognitive function.
- Previous models primarily focused on excitatory processes, with limited exploration of inhibitory mechanisms.
- Understanding inhibitory processes is key to a comprehensive model of working memory capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate limited capacity inhibitory selective attention processes within working memory.
- To determine if an inhibitory fan effect operates on irrelevant information in working memory.
- To test the existence of a spreading inhibition counterpart to spreading activation.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Modified Sternberg-type short-term memory scanning task with irrelevant and relevant memory-set words.
- Experiment 2: Negative priming task using a target letter flanked by varying numbers of distractor letters.
- Analysis focused on the impact of irrelevant stimuli on cognitive task performance.
Main Results:
- Both experiments provided evidence for a limited capacity spreading inhibition mechanism.
- The inhibitory fan effect was observed, impacting the processing of irrelevant information.
- Results align with models proposing dual excitatory and inhibitory selective attention subprocesses.
Conclusions:
- A limited capacity inhibitory selective attention process exists in working memory.
- This inhibitory process acts as a counterpart to spreading activation.
- Findings support models of working memory involving both excitatory and inhibitory resource limitations.