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01-05-2009 | Original Article

Investigating the role of conflict resolution in memory updating by means of the one-back choice RT task

Auteurs: Arnaud Szmalec, Jelle Demanet, André Vandierendonck, Frederick Verbruggen

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 3/2009

Abstract

The current study is inspired by recent findings, which suggest that conflict is involved in the updating of memory representations. It directly addresses the relation between memory updating and conflict resolution by means of the one-back choice reaction time (RT) task, an updating task, which requires participants to postpone their response to stimulus n until the subsequent stimulus n + 1 has been presented. In three experiments, a more detailed analysis of the one-back choice RT task is presented in order to further identify the role of conflict resolution in memory updating. The findings demonstrate that the one-back choice RT task, which allows motor preparation just like a simple RT task, is in fact performed slower than a simple RT task because it additionally involves conflict resolution. It is further shown that also the response–stimulus interval of the one-back task involves processes that affect the amount of conflict in the task. In the "General discussion", the theoretical relevance of these findings for the concept of updating is discussed.

vorige artikel Dissociating cognitive and motor interference effects on kinesthetic short-term memory

volgende artikel Dissociating restart cost and mixing cost in task switching

Note that we prefer the term conflict resolution over interference because it offers a broader and, as we will argue further, more appropriate description of the processes involved in updating

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Titel: Investigating the role of conflict resolution in memory updating by means of the one-back choice RT task
Auteurs: Arnaud Szmalec
Jelle Demanet
André Vandierendonck
Frederick Verbruggen
Publicatiedatum: 01-05-2009
Uitgeverij: Springer-Verlag
Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research / Uitgave 3/2009
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-008-0149-3

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