Working memory for cross-domain sequences

Abstract

How is information from different content domains bound together into a representation of the whole sequence? Several theories predict that mixing information from different domains specifically impairs the ordering of information from different domains, whereas ordering within domains might be enhanced. In contrast, domain-general models—in which items from different domains are simply assumed to be less confusable—predict that mixing items from different domains enhances ordering, as the list items will on average be less confusable. The results of an experiment showed an overall advantage for mixed over pure lists in ordering information, supporting the domain-general viewpoint. Simulations with a representative domain-general model—the start–end model of Henson [(1998). Short-term memory for serial order: The start-end model. Cognitive Psychology, 36, 73–137] —showed that the model gave a satisfactory account of the data. Together, the data and simulations lend evidence to the idea that a domain-general mechanism is responsible for ordering stimuli from different domains, and that domain-specific effects are attributable to the relative similarity of item representations.

Keywords:

• Working memory
• Similarity
• Serial recall
• Episodic buffer

This research was supported by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Grant RES-000-22-1665 awarded to Farrell and Oberauer. We thank Fiona Laver for her assistance in running the experiments.

Notes

¹ Note that the ANOVAs reported here are technically redundant, since the different error types must necessarily add up to 1-accuracy. This is not a major issue here, as we are using the ANOVAs on errors to determine what is driving any differences in response accuracies.