Working memory updating involves item-specific removal

•We propose an active removal process that operates in an item-specific fashion.•Removal serves WM updating and general WM functioning by preventing interference.•WM updating involves switching between maintenance and updating modes of WM. The ability to keep working memory content up to date is vit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of memory and language 2014-07, Vol.74 (Jul), p.1-15
Main Authors: Ecker, Ullrich K.H., Oberauer, Klaus, Lewandowsky, Stephan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Cognitive ability
Executive function
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Information processing
Learning. Memory
Memory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Removal
Updating
Working memory
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Summary:•We propose an active removal process that operates in an item-specific fashion.•Removal serves WM updating and general WM functioning by preventing interference.•WM updating involves switching between maintenance and updating modes of WM. The ability to keep working memory content up to date is vital for a number of higher cognitive functions such as navigation and reasoning, but it is also crucial for the effective operation of working memory itself. Removing outdated or irrelevant information allows focused processing of relevant information, and minimizes interference. We present evidence from three experiments that (1) people utilize an active removal process to update working memory, (2) that this removal process is an item-specific operation, and (3) that updating subsets of information held in working memory involves switching between maintenance and updating modes of working memory.
ISSN:0749-596X
1096-0821
DOI:10.1016/j.jml.2014.03.006