Navigating Increasing Levels of Relational Complexity: Perceptual, Analogical, and System Mappings

Relational thinking involves comparing abstract relationships between mental representations that vary in complexity; however, this complexity is rarely made explicit during everyday comparisons. This study explored how people naturally navigate relational complexity and interference using a novel relational match-to-sample (RMTS) task with both minimal and relationally directed instruction to observe changes in performance across three levels of relational complexity: perceptual, analogy, and system mappings. Individual working memory and relational abilities were examined to understand RMTS performance and susceptibility to interfering relational structures. Trials were presented without practice across four blocks, and participants received feedback after each attempt to guide learning. Experiment 1 instructed participants to select the target that best matched the sample, whereas Experiment 2 additionally directed participants' attention to same and different relations. Participants in Experiment 2 demonstrated improved performance when solving analogical mappings, suggesting that directing attention to relational characteristics affected behavior. Higher performing participants—those with above-chance performance on the final block of system mappings—solved more analogical RMTS problems and had greater visuospatial working memory, abstraction, verbal analogy, and scene analogy scores compared to lower performers. Lower performers were less dynamic in their performance across blocks and demonstrated negative relationships between analogy and system mapping accuracy, suggesting increased interference between these relational structures. Participant performance on RMTS problems did not change monotonically with relational complexity, suggesting that increases in relational complexity places nonlinear demands on working memory. We argue that competing relational information causes additional interference, especially in individuals with lower executive function abilities.

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Retrospective prioritization of multiple items during working memory storage

10.31234/osf.io/3my2a ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ashley DiPuma ◽

Kelly Rivera ◽

Edward Ester

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Memory Item ◽

Neutral Condition ◽

Memory Storage ◽

Single Item ◽

Incorrect Item ◽

Memory Precision ◽

Neutral Conditions ◽

Directing Attention

Working memory (WM) performance can be improved by an informative cue presented during storage. This effect, termed a retro-cue benefit, can be used to explore mechanisms of attentional prioritization in WM. Directing attention to a single item stored in memory is known to increase memory precision while decreasing the likelihood of incorrect item reports and random guesses, but it is unclear whether similar benefits manifest when participants direct attention to multiple items stored in memory. We tested this possibility by quantifying memory performance when participants were cued to prioritize one or two items stored in working memory. Consistent with prior work, cueing participants to prioritize a single memory item yielded higher recall precision, fewer swap errors, and fewer guesses relative to a neutral cue condition. Conversely, cueing participants to prioritize two memory items yielded fewer swap errors relative to a neutral condition, but no differences in recall precision or guess rates. Although swap rates were less likely during the cue-two vs. neutral conditions, planned comparisons revealed that when participants made swap errors during cue-two trials they were far more likely to confuse two prioritized stimuli than they were to confuse a prioritized stimulus vs. a non-prioritized stimulus. Our results suggest that it is possible to prioritize multiple items stored in memory, with the caveat that doing so may increase the probability of confusing prioritized items.

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Does Strategic Memory Training Improve the Working Memory Performance of Younger and Older Adults?

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169.54.4.311 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 311-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Barbara Carretti ◽

Erika Borella ◽

Rossana De Beni

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Working Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Memory Task ◽

Memory Training ◽

Control Groups ◽

Improved Performance ◽

Strategic Training ◽

Strategic Memory ◽

Experimental Group

Abstract. The paper examines the effect of strategic training on the performance of younger and older adults in an immediate list-recall and a working memory task. The experimental groups of younger and older adults received three sessions of memory training, teaching the use of mental images to improve the memorization of word lists. In contrast, the control groups were not instructed to use any particular strategy, but they were requested to carry out the memory exercises. The results showed that strategic training improved performance of both the younger and older experimental groups in the immediate list recall and in the working memory task. Of particular interest, the improvement in working memory performance of the older experimental group was comparable to that of the younger experimental group.

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Comparing Working Memory for Visual Item versus Relational Information

Journal of Vision ◽

10.1167/10.7.710 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 710-710

Author(s):

C. Ackerman ◽

S. Courtney

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Relational Information ◽

Visual Item

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Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II in Aging Rat Prefrontal Cortex Impairs Working Memory Performance

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2021.760270 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Dibyadeep Datta ◽

Shannon N. Leslie ◽

Elizabeth Woo ◽

Nishita Amancharla ◽

Ayah Elmansy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Cognitive Disorders ◽

Glutamate Carboxypeptidase Ii ◽

Prefrontal Cortical ◽

Aging Rat ◽

Medial Pfc ◽

Improved Performance ◽

Glutamate Carboxypeptidase ◽

Pentanedioic Acid

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) expression in brain is increased by inflammation, and reduces NAAG (N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate) stimulation of mGluR3 signaling. Genetic insults in this signaling cascade are increasingly linked to cognitive disorders in humans, where increased GCPII and or decreased NAAG-mGluR3 are associated with impaired prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation and cognitive impairment. As aging is associated with increased inflammation and PFC cognitive deficits, the current study examined GCPII and mGluR3 expression in the aging rat medial PFC, and tested whether GCPII inhibition with 2-(3-mercaptopropyl) pentanedioic acid (2-MPPA) would improve working memory performance. We found that GCPII protein was expressed on astrocytes and some microglia as expected from previous studies, but was also prominently expressed on neurons, and showed increased levels with advancing age. Systemic administration of the GCPII inhibitor, 2-MPPA, improved working memory performance in young and aged rats, and also improved performance after local infusion into the medial PFC. As GCPII inhibitors are well-tolerated, they may provide an important new direction for treatment of cognitive disorders associated with aging and/or inflammation.

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Using rat operant delayed match-to-sample task to identify neural substrates recruited with increased working memory load

10.1101/2020.06.18.160028 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Christina Gobin ◽

Lizhen Wu ◽

Marek Schwendt

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Mrna Expression ◽

Memory Load ◽

Neural Substrates ◽

High Load ◽

Limited Information ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Match To Sample ◽

Sprague Dawley Rats ◽

Subcortical Regions

AbstractThe delayed match-to-sample task (DMS) is used to probe working memory (WM) across species. While the involvement of the PFC in this task has been established, limited information exists regarding the recruitment of broader circuitry, especially under the low- versus high-WM load. We sought to address this question by using a variable-delay operant DMS task. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained and tested to determine their baseline WM performance across all (0-24s) delays. Next, rats were tested in a single DMS test with either 0s or 24s fixed delay, to assess low-/high-load WM performance. c-Fos mRNA expression was quantified within cortical and subcortical regions and correlated with WM performance. High WM load upregulated overall c-Fos mRNA expression within the PrL, as well as within a subset of mGlu5+ cells, with load-dependent, local activation of protein kinase C as the proposed underlying molecular mechanism. The PrL activity negatively correlated with choice accuracy during high load WM performance. A broader circuitry, including several subcortical regions, was found to be activated under low and/or high load conditions. These findings highlight the role of mGlu5 and/or PKC dependent signaling within the PrL, and corresponding recruitment of subcortical regions during high-load WM performance.

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Working Memory Training in Professional Football Players: A Small-Scale Descriptive Feasibility Study—The Importance of Personality, Psychological Well-Being, and Motivational Factors

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports7040089 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 89 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dymphie In de Braek ◽

Kay Deckers ◽

Timo Kleinhesselink ◽

Leonie Banning ◽

Rudolf Ponds

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Well Being ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Small Scale ◽

Football Players ◽

Professional Football ◽

Improved Performance

Background: Working memory training (WMT) programs can improve working memory (WM). In football players, this could lead to improved performance on the pitch. Method: Eighteen professional football players of Maatschappelijke Voetbal Vereniging Maastricht (MVV) participated and followed an online, computerized WMT program. Neuropsychological performance, psychological wellbeing, self-efficacy, and football skills (Loughborough Soccer Passing Test; LSPT) were assessed at three time points, before and after WMT and at three-month follow-up. Descriptive data are reported. Results: Baseline characteristics were roughly similar for both groups. Participants performed better on the trained WM tasks, but performance for other neuropsychological test measures or the LSPT did not change. Low compliance rates were observed, showing differences in personality and well-being between compliers and non-compliers. Conclusions: WMT is not a feasible and effective strategy to improve non-trained cognitive measures and football performance. However, this study indicates that it is important to take individual characteristics into account.

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The Allocation of Attention and Working Memory in Visual Crowding

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00771 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 1180-1193 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Felix Bacigalupo ◽

Steven J. Luck

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Selective Attention ◽

Visual Target ◽

Critical Distance ◽

Small Target ◽

Attentional Allocation ◽

Intermediate Target ◽

Stored Information ◽

Visual Crowding ◽

Directing Attention

When the distance between a visual target and nearby flankers falls below a critical distance, target discrimination declines precipitously. This is called “crowding.” Many researchers have proposed that selective attention plays a role in crowding. However, although some research has examined the effects of directing attention toward versus away from the targets, no previous research has assessed how attentional allocation varies as a function of target–flanker distance in crowding. Here, we used ERPs to assess the operation of attention during crowding, focusing on the attention-related N2pc component. We used a typical crowding task in which participants were asked to report the category (vowel/consonant) of a lateralized target letter flanked by distractor letters at different distances. We tested the hypothesis that attention fails when the target–flanker distance becomes too small for attention to operate effectively. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that N2pc amplitude was maximal at intermediate target–flanker distances and decreased substantially when crowding became severe. In addition, we examined the sustained posterior contralateral negativity (SPCN), which reflects the amount of information being maintained in working memory. Unlike the N2pc component, the SPCN increased in amplitude at small target–flanker distances, suggesting that observers stored information about the target and flankers in working memory when attention failed to select the target. Together, the N2pc and SPCN results suggest that attention and working memory play distinctive roles in crowding: Attention operates to minimize interference from the flankers at intermediate target–flanker distances, whereas working memory may be recruited when attention fails to select the target at small target–flanker distances.

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Not All Distraction Is Bad: Working Memory Vulnerability to Implicit Socioemotional Distraction Correlates with Negative Symptoms and Functional Impairment in Psychosis

Schizophrenia Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2014/320948 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Quintino R. Mano ◽

Gregory G. Brown ◽

Heline Mirzakhanian ◽

Khalima Bolden ◽

Kristen S. Cadenhead ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Functional Status ◽

Functional Impairment ◽

Global Assessment ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Role Functioning ◽

Global Assessment Of Functioning ◽

Match To Sample ◽

Task Irrelevant ◽

Load Size

This study investigated implicit socioemotional modulation of working memory (WM) in the context of symptom severity and functional status in individuals with psychosis (N=21). A delayed match-to-sample task was modified wherein task-irrelevant facial distracters were presented early and briefly during the rehearsal of pseudoword memoranda that varied incrementally in load size (1, 2, or 3 syllables). Facial distracters displayed happy, sad, or emotionally neutral expressions. Implicit socioemotional modulation of WM was indexed by subtracting task accuracy on nonfacial geometrical distraction trials from facial distraction trials. Results indicated that the amount of implicit socioemotional modulation ofhighWM load accuracy was significantly associated with negative symptoms (r=0.63,P<0.01), role functioning (r=−0.50,P<0.05), social functioning (r=−0.55,P<0.01), and global assessment of functioning (r=−0.53,P<0.05). Specifically,greaterattentional distraction ofhighWM load was associated withlesssevere symptoms and functional impairment. This study demonstrates the importance of the WM-socioemotional interface in influencing clinical and psychosocial functional status in psychosis.

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Delayed match-to-sample in working memory: A BrainMap meta-analysis

Biological Psychology ◽

10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.07.015 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 120 ◽

pp. 10-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Thomas A. Daniel ◽

Jeffrey S. Katz ◽

Jennifer L. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Match To Sample

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No evidence that LSD microdosing affects recall or the balance between distracter resistance and updating

10.1101/2021.12.02.470935 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sean James Fallon

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Computational Models ◽

Small Sample ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Memory Recall ◽

Or Efficiency ◽

Double Blind ◽

Match To Sample ◽

States Of Consciousness ◽

Dmts Task

AbstractThe effect of low doses (<=20 μg) of LSD on working memory, in the absence of altered states of consciousness, remain largely unexplored. Given its possible effects on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors and dopaminergic signalling, it could be hypothesised that LSD microdoses modulate working memory recall. Moreover, in line with computational models, LSD microdoses could exert antagonistic effects on distracter resistance and updating. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled study comparing three different LSD microdoses (5 μg, 10μg and 20μg) with placebo. After capsule administration, participants performed a modified delay-match-to-sample (DMTS) dopamine-sensitive task. The standard DMTS task was modified to include novel items in the delay period between encoding and probe. These novel items either had to be ignored or updated into working memory. There was no evidence that LSD microdoses affected the accuracy or efficiency of working memory recall and there was no evidence for differential effects on ignoring or updating. Due to the small sample of participants, these results are preliminary and larger studies are required to establish whether LSD microdoses affect short-term recall.

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