Gilhooly K J, Logie R H, Wetherick N E, Wynn V
Psychology Department, Aberdeen University, Scotland.
Mem Cognit. 1993 Jan;21(1):115-24. doi: 10.3758/bf03211170.
It has often been asserted that working-memory limitations are a major factor contributing to problem difficulty; for example, Johnson-Laird's (1983) mental-models theory appeals to working-memory limitations to explain the difficulty of syllogistic reasoning. However, few studies have directly explored working memory in problem solving in general or syllogistic reasoning in particular. This paper reports two studies. In the first, working-memory load was varied by presenting syllogistic tasks either verbally or visually (so that the premises were continuously available for inspection). A significant effect of memory load was obtained. In the second study, premises were presented visually for a subject-determined time. Dual-task methods were used to assess the role of working-memory components, as identified in Baddeley's (1986) model. Syllogistic performance was disrupted by concurrent random-number generation but not by concurrent articulatory suppression or by concurrent tapping in a preset pattern. Furthermore, the concurrent syllogism task interfered with random generation and to a lesser extent with articulatory suppression, but not with tapping. We conclude that while the central-executive component of working memory played a major role in the syllogistic-task performance reported here, the articulatory loop had a lesser role, and the visuospatial scratch pad was not involved.
人们常常认为，工作记忆的局限性是导致问题难度的一个主要因素；例如，约翰逊 - 莱尔德（1983）的心理模型理论诉诸工作记忆的局限性来解释三段论推理的难度。然而，很少有研究直接探讨一般问题解决中的工作记忆，特别是三段论推理中的工作记忆。本文报告了两项研究。在第一项研究中，通过口头或视觉方式呈现三段论任务来改变工作记忆负荷（以便前提可以持续供人查看）。获得了记忆负荷的显著影响。在第二项研究中，前提在由受试者确定的时间内以视觉方式呈现。采用双任务方法来评估工作记忆成分的作用，这些成分是根据巴德利（1986）的模型确定的。三段论推理表现受到同时进行的随机数生成的干扰，但不受同时进行的发音抑制或按预设模式同时进行的敲击的干扰。此外，同时进行的三段论任务干扰了随机数生成，在较小程度上干扰了发音抑制，但不干扰敲击。我们得出结论，虽然工作记忆的中央执行成分在此处报告的三段论任务表现中起主要作用，但发音回路的作用较小，并且视觉空间暂存区未参与其中。
