Working memory retrieval as a decision process.

Working memory (WM) is a core cognitive process fundamental to human behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying it remain highly controversial. Here we provide a new framework for understanding retrieval of information from WM, conceptualizing it as a decision based on the quality of internal evidence....

সম্পূর্ণ বিবরণ

গ্রন্থ-পঞ্জীর বিবরন
প্রধান লেখক: Pearson, B, Raskevicius, J, Bays, P, Pertzov, Y, Husain, M
বিন্যাস: Journal article
ভাষা:English
প্রকাশিত: 2014
_version_ 1826290428990717952
author Pearson, B
Raskevicius, J
Bays, P
Pertzov, Y
Husain, M
author_facet Pearson, B
Raskevicius, J
Bays, P
Pertzov, Y
Husain, M
author_sort Pearson, B
collection OXFORD
description Working memory (WM) is a core cognitive process fundamental to human behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying it remain highly controversial. Here we provide a new framework for understanding retrieval of information from WM, conceptualizing it as a decision based on the quality of internal evidence. Recent findings have demonstrated that precision of WM decreases with memory load. If WM retrieval uses a decision process that depends on memory quality, systematic changes in response time distribution should occur as a function of WM precision. We asked participants to view sample arrays and, after a delay, report the direction of change in location or orientation of a probe. As WM precision deteriorated with increasing memory load, retrieval time increased systematically. Crucially, the shape of reaction time distributions was consistent with a linear accumulator decision process. Varying either task relevance of items or maintenance duration influenced memory precision, with corresponding shifts in retrieval time. These results provide strong support for a decision-making account of WM retrieval based on noisy storage of items. Furthermore, they show that encoding, maintenance, and retrieval in WM need not be considered as separate processes, but may instead be conceptually unified as operations on the same noise-limited, neural representation.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T02:44:03Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:ab70bd10-c75a-4008-8fc2-0a72a23e6acf
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T02:44:03Z
publishDate 2014
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:ab70bd10-c75a-4008-8fc2-0a72a23e6acf2022-03-27T03:21:53ZWorking memory retrieval as a decision process.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ab70bd10-c75a-4008-8fc2-0a72a23e6acfEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2014Pearson, BRaskevicius, JBays, PPertzov, YHusain, MWorking memory (WM) is a core cognitive process fundamental to human behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying it remain highly controversial. Here we provide a new framework for understanding retrieval of information from WM, conceptualizing it as a decision based on the quality of internal evidence. Recent findings have demonstrated that precision of WM decreases with memory load. If WM retrieval uses a decision process that depends on memory quality, systematic changes in response time distribution should occur as a function of WM precision. We asked participants to view sample arrays and, after a delay, report the direction of change in location or orientation of a probe. As WM precision deteriorated with increasing memory load, retrieval time increased systematically. Crucially, the shape of reaction time distributions was consistent with a linear accumulator decision process. Varying either task relevance of items or maintenance duration influenced memory precision, with corresponding shifts in retrieval time. These results provide strong support for a decision-making account of WM retrieval based on noisy storage of items. Furthermore, they show that encoding, maintenance, and retrieval in WM need not be considered as separate processes, but may instead be conceptually unified as operations on the same noise-limited, neural representation.
spellingShingle Pearson, B
Raskevicius, J
Bays, P
Pertzov, Y
Husain, M
Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title_full Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title_fullStr Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title_full_unstemmed Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title_short Working memory retrieval as a decision process.
title_sort working memory retrieval as a decision process
work_keys_str_mv AT pearsonb workingmemoryretrievalasadecisionprocess
AT raskeviciusj workingmemoryretrievalasadecisionprocess
AT baysp workingmemoryretrievalasadecisionprocess
AT pertzovy workingmemoryretrievalasadecisionprocess
AT husainm workingmemoryretrievalasadecisionprocess