4 icwm 2004
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Transcript of 4 icwm 2004
The time-based resource-sharingmodel
of working memory
Pierre Barrouillet
Valérie CamosUniversité de Bourgogne
LEAD - CNRS
How does working memory work ?
• How is the relevant information maintained active during processing ?
• What is the nature of the resource to be shared ?
• How is this sharing achieved ?
• What are the limiting factors of WM functioning ?
Time-Based Resource-Sharing ModelThe main proposals
Barrouillet, Bernardin, & Camos, JEP:G, 2004
1. Processing and maintenance require attention which is a limited resource (some sharing is needed)
2. As soon as attention is switched away, activation suffers from a time-related decay
3. Among attention demanding activities, retrievals from memory should have the most detrimental effect on concurrent maintenance
4. When processing involves retrievals, sharing attention is time based because a central bottleneck allows only one retrieval at a time
Activation is attention demanding
1. Processing and storage require attention
Processing Maintenance
Retrievals of declarative knowledge stored in long-term
memory
Frequent refreshment of decaying traces of the to-be-
maintained items
STM = Activated part of LTMProductions rules read and update the content of WM
Anderson’s ACT-R Framework
Activation of memory items
2. When attention is switched away, activation suffers from a time-related decay
• Activation is produced by attentional focusing (Cowan, 1995).
• Activation declines as soon as the focus of attention is switched away.
• While processing captures attention, relevant information declines in STM
• When attention is used to refresh decaying memory traces, processing is temporarily suspended.
3. Concurrent memory retrievals have the most detrimental effect on maintenance
• Two memory retrievals can not be performed simultaneously (Pashler, 1998; Rohrer, Pashler, Etchegarray, 1998).
• The refreshment of the decaying memory traces in STM necessitates their memory retrieval, but
Any processing component that requires retrievals from memory should have a highly detrimental effect on
concurrent maintenance of information.
4. Sharing attention is time-based
• There is a bottleneck for retrievals: only one retrieval at a time.
• Maintenance necessitates frequent retrievals
• When processing occupies the bottleneck …
Big problem
Time-Based Resource-Sharing Model
Processing Storage
Rapid switching
Switching mechanism and decay
R R R RRabbit Diner
CL
R R R RRabbit Diner
CL
R R R RRabbit Diner
CL
Possible reactivation of memory traces
Cognitive Load is
CL =Duration of attentional capture
Total time allowed
The proportion of time during which a given activity captures attention in such a way that the refreshment of memory traces is impeded.
The higher the cognitive load, the more difficult the switching.
A metric for Cognitive Load In tasks involving retrievals from LTM
The number of retrievals nTheir difficulty a
(the time they occupy central processes)
The total time allowed to perform them TWhen all the retrievals are identical in
nature:
CL = ai ni
TCL =
a N
T
R 8 3 1 6 4 K7 2 5 4 9 L63
842
Exploring cognitive load as theNumber of Retrievals / Time ratio
The Reading Digit Span Task
Read aloud the successive screens and recall the letters
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
6 Digits 10 Digits
Manipulating theNumber of Retrievals / Time ratio
Either 6 or 10 digits to be read
Constant duration of the interletter intervals (6 s)
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
5
Slow1000 ms
Fast600 ms
Manipulating theNumber of Retrievals / Time ratio
Fixed number of digits to be read
Either 600 or 1000 ms per digit
•Either 4, 8, or 12 digits during 6, 8, or 10 seconds
• 9 different values of the critical ratio (from 0.4 to 2)
Manipulating theNumber of Retrievals / Time ratio
Varying the number of digits to be read
and the time allowed to read them
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
5
5,5
6
0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5
Number of retrievals / Time ratio
R2 = .932
Manipulating theNumber of Retrievals / Time ratio
Barrouillet, Bernardin, & Camos, JEP:G, 2004
A physical law for mental effort
Cognitive Load is
CL =Work
Time
The physical law of power !
Cognitive Load of a given activity = Mental Power needed to perform it
Cognitive Loadas defined by the Time-Based Resource-Sharing model
depends on
rate of processing rather than complexity
nature of the processes involved
attentional demand of the processes
duration of the atomic steps of processing
Rate of processing rather than complexityLépine, Bernardin, & Barrouillet, EJCP, in press
In undergraduate students who remembered series of letters:
• Traditional Reading Span (self paced)
• Reading Letter Span (slow: 1200 ms per letter)
• Reading Letter Span (fast: 600 ms per letter)
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
RS self-paced RLS slow RLS fast
Reading letters can have the same detrimental effect on spans as reading complex sentences !
Rate of processing rather than complexityLépine, Bernardin, & Barrouillet, EJCP, in press
G 8
5
6
1 2
3P
Parity“ Even, odd, even, odd …”
location“ Up, up, down, down”
Retrievals from LTM required
Two different groups are presented with the same display but perform different activities:
Nature of the processes involvedBernardin, Portrat, & Barrouillet, submitted
G 8
5
61 2
3 P
G8
5
61
2
3 P
Regular presentation
Chaotic prese n tation
Involvement of central processes or tracking the target ?
Nature of the processes involvedBernardin, Portrat, & Barrouillet, submitted
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
Position Parity
RegularChaotic
*ns
Tracking external events is far less demanding than occupation of central processesCognitive load mainly results from central processes occupation
Nature of the processes involvedBernardin, Portrat, & Barrouillet, submitted
R 5 3 1 2 4 K3 2 5 4 L 463
512
R 1 2 3 4 5 K1 2 3 4 L 132
465
Attentional demand of the processesGavens & Barrouillet, JML, in press
Random
Ordered
0
1
2
3
8-year olds 10-year olds
OrderedRandom
Attentional demand of the processesGavens & Barrouillet, JML, in press
Duration of the processes
CL =a N
T
Slower retrievals
Central processes occupied for a longer period
Higher CL
LOWER SPANS
A reading digit span with digits presented …
4 Four IV
442 ms 446 ms 625 ms
Reading digit spans should be lower when digits are presented in roman
Reading numbers (1 to 9) while maintaining letters1 digit per second
Duration of the processes
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
4 Four IV
Slower retrievals occupy central processes for longer periods and involve higher cognitive load.
*
Duration of the processes
Are time-constrained tasks as predictive as classical WM span tasks?
Lépine, Barrouillet, & Camos, Psych.B&R, in press
.36
.42
Compound score
Compound score.34
.50
Operation spanReading span
Classical tasks
Continuous Operation spanReading Letter span
New tasks
Standard National evaluation in litteracy
and mathematics
.39
.54
Predicting academic achievement in 93 sixth graders
Academic achievementWorking memory
The Time-Based Resource-Sharing modeland the new WM span tasks
Controling time parameters provides us with better WM span
tasks
More predictive
Simpler
Easier to manipulate
Easier to control
More knowledge free
Conclusions
The main function of WM is to share cognitive resources between maintenance and treatment: Perfect trade-off.
The more constrained this sharing, the higher the cognitive load: What matters is PACE !
Is there an intrinsic cognitive load for a given task ?: No, just an amount of work to be doneAny task that involves central processes can become very demanding when performed under sufficient time pressure.
Demanding activities in traditional cognitive psychology ?: Activities for which time pressure is inherent to their structure.
Cognitive Load is not a myth or even a metaphor. Cognitive Load is:
Proportion of time attention is totally capturedWork to be done / Time to do it
Mental power needed
Thanks to
Sophie BernardinRaphaëlle LépineNathalie GavensSophie Portrat
LEAD - CNRS Université de Bourgogne