How sublexical association strength modulates updating: Cognitive and strategic effects

Abstract

In the current study, we investigated updating of long-term memory (LTM) associations. Specifically, we examined sublexical associations by manipulating preexisting LTM relations between consonant couplets (in encoding and updating phases), and explicitly instructed participants to engage with a specific strategy for approaching the task (item disjunction, grouping, or none). In two experiments, we used a multistep subject-based memory updating task in which we measured processing response times (RTs; Exp. 1, Exp. 2) and recognition RTs (Exp. 2). For the first time, in both experiments, we found costs in dismantling strong pre-existing associations from LTM and benefits in recreating strong preexisting associations. In addition, we found that control of irrelevant information was more difficult when this belonged to a strong association. Regarding task strategies, we showed that inducing a disjunction strategy enhanced updating, no matter the strength of the association. Results were discussed in the light of updating as a process of dismantling and recreating associations. The role of a specific strategic approach in enhancing the updating was also discussed.

The removal of information from working memory

“…One is that the contents of working memory are outsourced into long‐term memory (sometimes referred to as activated long‐term memory). This idea is supported by the observation of limitations that long‐term memory imposes on removal from working memory: recent evidence suggests that prior knowledge and familiarity of items in working memory may impede the selective updating or removal of those items.…”

Long-term memory effects on working memory updating development

“…In addition, the role of associative contextual bindings in episodic memory retrieval was also supported [13]. Overall, it appears that the monitoring of associative bindings between contents is a specific challenge for the updating process (see also [14, 15]).…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the updating of LTM associations between verbal materials [14, 26]. Indeed, updating can be distinguished from recall, as it allows memory focus to remain attuned to the most relevant information in any specific moment.…”

“…Overall, it was shown that the stronger the LTM association, the longer latencies (i.e., to substitute information and to control for irrelevant information) were required. Therefore, a processing cost was found for updating; this is in direct opposition to recall, which is boosted by association strength [14].…”

Peer Review #1 of "A cross-sectional study on interference control: age affects reactive control but not proactive control (v0.1)"

“…Since WM is capacity-limited, working memory updating (WMU) is used to continuously adapt to changing task demands and environment (Morris & Jones, 1990), and is crucial for cognitive executive function. Updating is a process of dismantling and recreating associations between content and context (Artuso & Palladino, 2018). That is, unbinding the outdated contents from their contexts in time and establishing new bindings (Oberauer, 2009).…”