Hälbig T D, Mecklinger A, Schriefers H, Friederici A D
Max-Planck-Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany.
Neuropsychologia. 1998 Apr;36(4):305-11. doi: 10.1016/s0028-3932(97)00127-9.
Based on the converging evidence supporting the view of domain specific object and spatial working memory processes, the question was addressed whether the property of domain specificity holds equally for temporal information. Using a selective interference paradigm the objective was to test a dissociation of the processing of temporal duration and spatial location information in working memory of intact human subjects. Subjects performed a temporal and a spatial memory task in which they were required to indicate whether the study and the test stimuli were the same or different in duration (temporal memory) or in location (spatial memory) as primary tasks. Both primary tasks were combined with three types of interference tasks, a spatial classification memory task, a temporal classification memory task and a non-interference baseline task--to be performed in-between the presentation of study and test stimuli. Memory for temporal duration was shown to be impaired by the temporal classification task but not by the spatial classification task; memory for spatial position showed the opposite pattern of impairment. These data thus provide evidence for the view that temporal and spatial working memory contents are subject to selective interference, reflecting a functional dissociation in the processing of temporal duration and spatial location information. The results are interpreted as evidence for the domain specificity in the processing of temporal information in working memory.
基于支持领域特定客体和空间工作记忆过程观点的越来越多的证据，研究了领域特异性这一特性对于时间信息是否同样成立的问题。采用选择性干扰范式，目的是测试完整人类受试者工作记忆中时间持续和空间位置信息处理的分离情况。受试者执行一项时间和一项空间记忆任务，在这些任务中，他们需要指出学习和测试刺激在持续时间（时间记忆）或位置（空间记忆）上是否相同或不同，作为主要任务。这两项主要任务都与三种干扰任务相结合，即空间分类记忆任务、时间分类记忆任务和非干扰基线任务——在学习和测试刺激呈现之间执行。结果表明，时间分类任务会损害对时间持续的记忆，但空间分类任务不会；对空间位置的记忆表现出相反的损害模式。因此，这些数据为以下观点提供了证据，即时间和空间工作记忆内容受到选择性干扰，反映了时间持续和空间位置信息处理中的功能分离。这些结果被解释为工作记忆中时间信息处理领域特异性的证据。
