Practice-related improvement in working memory is modulated by changes in processing external interference.

ABSTRACT: Working memory (WM) performance is impaired by the presence of external interference. Accordingly, more efficient processing of intervening stimuli with practice may lead to enhanced WM performance. To explore the role of practice on the impact that interference has on WM performance, we studied young adults with electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings as they performed three motion-direction, delayed-recognition tasks. One task was presented without interference, whereas two tasks introduced different types of interference during the interval of memory maintenance: distractors and interruptors. Distractors were to be ignored, whereas interruptors demanded attention based on task instructions for a perceptual discrimination. We show that WM performance was disrupted by both types of inter

SUBMITTER: Berry AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2746773 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature