Processes contributing to forward and backward span: an ERP investigation

Abstract

Reversal of the order in which items are recalled reduces verbal span more than visuospatial span. We investigated behavioral performance and event-related potential components elicited during novel recognition span tasks with verbal (digits) and visuospatial (blocks) stimuli. Reversing item order reduced behavioral span and the amplitudes of the P3a and P3b event-related potential components in the verbal but not in the visuospatial tasks. P3a is thought to reflect detection of deviance from expectation, and hence the smaller P3a suggests expectancy of the stimulus sequence is attenuated in the digits backward task. P3b is thought to reflect allocation of attention to updating memory representations, hence the smaller P3b suggests attenuation of these attentional resources when the demanding operation of verbal order reversal is required in the digits backward span task.

Differences in Verbal and Visuospatial Forward and Backward Order Recall: A Review of the Literature

“…Another study compared forward and backward recall, showing the presence of high negative correlations between P3 latency and the DST (Walhovd and Fjell, 2002). Finally, research has shown that the amplitudes of the P3a and P3b ERPs are reduced during backward recall in verbal but not in visuospatial tasks (Nulsen et al, 2010). This finding, suggesting a different pattern of activation between verbal and spatial backward spans, seems to indicate a reduction of attentional resources in the verbal backward span (see Nulsen et al, 2010).…”

“…Among these studies, two did not report means or effect sizes, making it impossible to calculate effect sizes (Farrand and Jones, 1996; Farrand et al, 2001); one reported data from a clinical sample (Wilde and Strauss, 2002), and one compared participants with high vs. low spatial abilities (Cornoldi and Mammarella, 2008). However, five studies reported descriptive statistics (i.e., Vandierendonck et al, 2004; Mammarella and Cornoldi, 2005; Nulsen et al, 2010; Garcia et al, 2014; Higo et al, 2014) and seven effect sizes were extracted from these studies (see also Tables 1, 2). When considering these effects together, and assuming random effects, the overall effect is d unb = 0.039 [-0.20, 0.28].…”

Cluster Analysis in Neuropsychological Research

“…In addition, there was some evidence of a unique pattern of backward span task performance as determined by the secondary CLINK clustering method, though further exploring this fi nding goes beyond the scope of the chapter. It should be noted that another study of the TOMAL standardization sample noted distinct factor patterns for forward and backward span tasks (Reynolds, 1997 ), while other studies have found that the two tasks have different rates of performance that might be selectively impaired by underlying neuropathology or other clinical considerations (Nulsen, Fox, & Hammond, 2010 ;Ramsay & Reynolds, 1995 ). Prior factor analysis studies of span tasks have found that they load on the same factor, often referred to as "working memory" because both place demands on the working memory system.…”

Microgenetic patterns of children’s multiplication learning: Confirming the overlapping waves model by latent growth modeling

“…Complex span tasks and updating tasks have been shown to be strongly interconnected: they loaded on the same factor in a factor analysis (St Clair- Thompson & Gathercole, 2006) and evoked similar brain activation (Nulsen, Fox, & Hammond, 2010;Segalowitz, Wintink, & Cudmore, 2001). …”