Calia Clara, Darling Stephen, Havelka Jelena, Allen Richard J
1 School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
2 Memory Research Group, Centre for Applied Social Science and Division of Psychology and Sociology, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2019 Apr;72(4):913-921. doi: 10.1177/1747021818772518. Epub 2018 May 7.
Immediate serial recall of digits is better when the digits are shown by highlighting them in a familiar array, such as a phone keypad, compared with presenting them serially in a single location, a pattern referred to as "visuospatial bootstrapping." This pattern implies the establishment of temporary links between verbal and spatial working memory, alongside access to information in long-term memory. However, the role of working memory control processes like those implied by the "Central Executive" in bootstrapping has not been directly investigated. Here, we report a study addressing this issue, focusing on executive processes of attentional shifting. Tasks in which information has to be sequenced are thought to be heavily dependent on shifting. Memory for digits presented in keypads versus single locations was assessed under two secondary task load conditions, one with and one without a sequencing requirement, and hence differing in the degree to which they invoke shifting. Results provided clear evidence that multimodal binding (visuospatial bootstrapping) can operate independently of this form of executive control process.
与在单个位置依次呈现数字相比，当数字在诸如电话键盘等熟悉的阵列中通过突出显示来呈现时，数字的即时系列回忆效果更好，这种模式被称为“视觉空间引导”。这种模式意味着在言语和空间工作记忆之间建立临时联系，同时可以访问长期记忆中的信息。然而，像“中央执行系统”所暗示的那些工作记忆控制过程在引导中的作用尚未得到直接研究。在此，我们报告一项针对此问题的研究，重点关注注意力转移的执行过程。人们认为，必须对信息进行排序的任务严重依赖于转移。在两种次要任务负荷条件下评估了对键盘呈现的数字与单个位置呈现的数字的记忆，一种有排序要求，一种没有排序要求，因此它们在调用转移的程度上有所不同。结果提供了明确的证据，表明多模态绑定（视觉空间引导）可以独立于这种形式的执行控制过程而运作。
