Working memory capacity predicts the beneficial effect of selective memory retrieval

Abstract

Selective retrieval of some studied items can both impair and improve recall of the other items. This study examined the role of working memory capacity (WMC) for the two effects of memory retrieval. Participants studied an item list consisting of predefined target and nontarget items. After study of the list, half of the participants performed an imagination task supposed to induce a change in mental context, whereas the other half performed a counting task which does not induce such context change. Following presentation of a second list, memory for the original list's target items was tested, either with or without preceding retrieval of the list's nontarget items. Consistent with previous work, preceding nontarget retrieval impaired target recall in the absence of the context change, but improved target recall in its presence. In particular, there was a positive relationship between WMC and the beneficial, but not the detrimental effect of memory retrieval. On the basis of the view that the beneficial effect of memory retrieval reflects context-reactivation processes, the results indicate that individuals with higher WMC are better able to capitalise on retrieval-induced context reactivation than individuals with lower WMC.

Keywords:

• Retrieval
• Working memory capacity
• Context reactivation
• Inhibition
• Blocking

This research was supported by German Research Foundation (DFG) grant to K.-H.T.B. [grant number 1382/10-1].

This research was supported by German Research Foundation (DFG) grant to K.-H.T.B. [grant number 1382/10-1].

Notes

¹ Mall and Morey (2013) reported a negative relationship between WMC and the detrimental effect of selective retrieval when using the retrieval-practice task, which contrasts with the results of Aslan and Bäuml (2011). However, the two studies differ in a number of ways from each other, including differences in procedure, item composition, and type of memory test. Given these methodological differences, it is unclear which specific factor (or combination of factors) was responsible for Mall and Morey's failure to replicate the previous results.