scholarly journals Information Stored in Memory Affects Abductive Reasoning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Klichowicz ◽  
Daniela Eileen Lippoldt ◽  
Agnes Rosner ◽  
Josef F. Krems
Keyword(s):  
Mental Representation ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Situation Model ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Similar Reasoning ◽  
New Information ◽  
Central Data

Abductive reasoning describes the process of deriving an explanation from given observations. The Theory of Abductive Reasoning (TAR; Johnson & Krems, 2001) assumes that when information is presented sequentially, new information is integrated into a mental representation, a situation model, the central data structure on which all reasoning processes are based. Because working memory capacity is limited, the question arises how reasoning might change with the amount of information that has to be processed in memory. Thus, we conducted an experiment (N = 34) in which we manipulated whether previous observation information and previously found explanations had to be retrieved from memory or were still visually present. Our results provide evidence that people experience differences in task difficulty when more information has to be retrieved from memory. This is also evident in changes in the mental representation as reflected by eye tracking measures. However, no differences are found between groups in the reasoning outcome. These findings suggest that individuals construct their situation model from both information in memory as well as external memory stores. The complexity of the model depends on the task: when memory demands are high, only relevant information is included. With this compensation strategy, people are able to achieve similar reasoning outcomes even when faced with tasks that are more difficult. This implies that people are able to adapt their strategy to the task in order to keep their reasoning successful.

scholarly journals More than storage of information: What working memory contributes to visual abductive reasoning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Klichowicz ◽  
Agnes Rosner ◽  
Josef F. Krems
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Mental Representation ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Process Measures ◽  
Visuospatial Reasoning ◽  
Precise Relationship ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Very High

Abductive reasoning is the process of finding the best explanation for a set of observations. As the number of possible observations and corresponding explanations may be very high, it is commonly accepted that the capacity of working memory is closely related to successful abductive reasoning. However, the precise relationship between reasoning and working memory capacity remains largely opaque. In a reanalysis of two experiments (N = 59), we first investigated whether reasoning performance differs due to differences in working memory capacity. Second, using eye tracking, we explored the relationship between the facets of working memory and the process of visuospatial reasoning. We used working memory tests of both components (verbal-numerical/spatial) as well as an intelligence measure. Results show a clear relationship between reasoning accuracy and spatial storage components as well as intelligence. Process measures suggest that high working memory ability might lead to the use of strategies to optimize the content and complexity of the mental representation on which abductive reasoning is based. Results are discussed in relation to current theories and the existing literature on the effects of memory on eye movements.

Effects of Working Memory Capacity, Task Switching, and Task Difficulty on Multitasking Performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 502-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shijing Liu ◽  
Amy Wadeson ◽  
Na Young Kim ◽  
Chang S. Nam
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
Switching Task ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Multitasking requires human operators to handle the demands of multiple tasks through task switching at the same time and this ability is required in many jobs. Previous studies showed that different levels of working memory capacity (WMC) and task switching abilities can lead to differences on multitasking performance. With increased complexity of tasks, maintaining task performance is challenging. This study sought to find the relations of WMC, task switching, task difficulty, and multitasking performance. Multi-Attribute Task Battery II (MATB-II) was employed in this study as a platform to assess multitasking. Automated OSPAN and Trail Making Tasks (TMT) were used to assess WMC and the task switching ability, respectively. Results indicated that there were significant effects of these three parameters on multitasking performance. Other dimensions of multitasking performance will be addressed in future studies.

Tracing current explanations in memory: A process analysis based on eye-tracking

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1703-1717
Author(s):  
Anja Klichowicz ◽  
Sascha Strehlau ◽  
Martin RK Baumann ◽  
Josef F Krems ◽  
Agnes Rosner
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Mental Representation ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Situation Model ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Tracking Method ◽  
Indexing Method ◽  
Refinement Process ◽  
Memory Indexing

Sequential abductive reasoning is the process of finding the best explanation for a set of observations. Explanations can be multicausal and require the retrieval of previously found ones from memory. The theory of abductive reasoning (TAR) allows detailed predictions on what information is stored and retrieved from memory during reasoning. In the research to date, however, these predictions have never been directly tested. In this study, we tested process assumptions such as the construction of a mental representation from TAR using memory indexing, an eye-tracking method that makes it possible to trace the retrieval of explanations currently held in working memory. Gaze analysis revealed that participants encode the presented evidence (i.e., observations) together with possible explanations into memory. When new observations are presented, the previously presented evidence and explanations are retrieved. Observations that are not explained immediately are encoded as abstractly explained. Abstract explanations enter a refinement process in which they become concrete before they enter the situation model. With the memory indexing method, we were able to assess the process of information retrieval in abductive reasoning, which was previously believed to be unobservable. We discuss the results in the light of TAR and other current theories on the diagnostic reasoning process.

scholarly journals Romantic Partners’ Working Memory Capacity Facilitates Relationship Problem Resolution through Recollection of Problem-Relevant Information

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levi Baker ◽  
Michael J. Kane ◽  
Michelle Russell
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Problem Resolution ◽  
Relationship Problem

Intimates often discuss the causes of, and solutions to, their relationship problems with their partners, and this information can shape partners’ behavior and thus facilitate problem resolution. Partners’ ability to encode and later recall such discussions should lead to greater declines in the severity of those problems. This brief report presents the results from a broader longitudinal study in which newlywed couples completed tasks assessing their working memory capacity (WMC), engaged in problem-solving discussions, recalled those discussions after a short delay, and then reported the severity of the problems discussed over the course of a year. Greater WMC among partners was associated with greater declines in the severity of a relationship problem, mediated by partners’ recall of the discussion of that problem, suggesting that WMC facilitated the long-term memory encoding of the problem discussion. This study is among the first to suggest that individual differences in basic cognitive abilities may affect conversation processing and recall, and thereby close relationships.

Multimedia Learning and Working Memory Capacity

2009 ◽  
pp. 17-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter E. Doolittle
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Instructional Environments ◽  
Multimedia Environments

This chapter addresses the role that working memory capacity (WMC) plays in learning in multimedia environments. WMC represents the ability to control attention, that is, to be able to remain focused on the task at hand while simultaneously retrieving relevant information from long-term memory, all in the presence of distraction. The chapter focuses on how individual differences in attentional control affect cognitive performance, in general, and cognitive performance in multimedia environments, in particular. A review of the relevant literature demonstrates that, in general, students with high WMC outperform students with low WMC on measures of cognitive performance. However, there has been very little research addressing the role of WMC in learning in multimedia environments. To address this need, the authors conducted a study that examined the effects of WMC on learning in a multimedia environment. Results of this study indicated students with high WMC recalled and transferred significantly more information than students with low WMC. Ultimately, this chapter provides evidence that individual differences in working memory capacity should be taken into account when creating and implementing multimedia instructional environments.

scholarly journals High Working Memory Capacity at the Cost of Precision?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Anne-Katrin Vellage ◽  
Patrick Müller ◽  
Marlen Schmicker ◽  
Jens-Max Hopf ◽  
Notger G. Müller
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Estimation Task ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Object Features

Working memory capacity (WMC) varies tremendously among individuals. Here, we investigate the possibility that subjects with high WMC use this limited resource more efficiently by reducing the precision with which they store information in demanding tasks. Task difficulty was increased by (a) presenting more objects to be memorized, (b) informing subjects only after the encoding phase about the relevant objects, and (c) delivering distracting features at retrieval. Precision was assessed by means of a continuous delayed-estimation task, in which object features had to be estimated from memory. High WMC subjects did not show a stronger drop in precision in difficult tasks. Instead, a positive correlation between precision and general WMC emerged. These findings suggest that high WMC subjects do not necessarily trade in quantity for quality when forming working memory (WM) representations under increasing demand. Instead, they seem to be able to devote more cognitive resources to support WM storage.

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