The role of attention during retrieval in working memory span: A dual-task study.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 58
ISBN-13: 9780494162118
Description: We tested the hypothesis that operation span performance involves attention-demanding retrieval of target words from long-term memory, rather than active maintenance of all target words. Participants completed the standard operation span task and a modified, word-span-like version in which all equations preceded all target words. Recall took place either under full attention or divided attention conditions (easy vs. hard). Secondary-task performance was worse for the standard operation span task than for the modified version with the hard secondary task showing the larger decrement. Recall also suffered under divided attention with the recall decrement greater for the more difficult secondary task. Moreover, the time taken to start recalling the first word was considerably longer for the standard version than for the modified version. These results are consistent with the proposal that successful operation span task performance in part involves the attention-demanding retrieval of targets from long-term memory.
Notes: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, page: 3004.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

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