Testing theories of working memory: On the relevance of semantic distractor features in the irrelevant speech effect on serial recall

工作记忆模型做出了不同的假设，认为哪些分心特征对追求当前行为目标是有害的。这项计划中的研究项目旨在调查语义分心特征在任务无关背景音对连续回忆的干扰中所起的作用。这项实验基于一项初步研究，结果令人振奋。该研究比较了两类分散注意力的句子：语义上匹配最后一个词的句子和语义上不匹配最后一个词的句子。关于这些句子应该产生的干扰程度，可以从工作记忆模型中得出相反的预测。根据假设不相关的声音效果是由自动干扰引起的模型，分心序列的干扰潜力仅由其声学特征决定，而不是其语义特征。根据允许听觉分心吸引注意力的模型，违反先前建立的语义期望的单词应该产生特别大的无关声音效果。与这一假设相一致的是，语义不匹配的句子比语义匹配的句子对连续回忆的干扰更大。这是一个新颖而有趣的发现，扩展了之前已知的语义效应。然而，在得出明确的结论之前，似乎有必要对语义分心特征如何影响听觉分心因素对连续回忆的干扰进行系统的研究。本研究项目就是针对这一问题展开的。本研究设计了十个实验来考察语义分心特征对工作记忆成绩的影响条件、影响的部位和涉及的加工过程。对当前工作记忆模型充分性的经验评估有望获得重要的见解。

Working memory models make contrasting assumptions on which distractor features should be harmful to the pursuit of current behavioral goals. The planned research project seeks to investigate the role that semantic distractor features play in the disruption of serial recall by task-irrelevant background sound. The proposed experiments are based on a pilot study with promising results, in which two categories of distractor sentences were compared: sentences with semantically matching last words and sentences with semantically mismatching last words. Opposing predictions can be derived from working memory models as to the amount of disruption these sentences should produce. According to models that assume that the irrelevant sound effect is caused by automatic interference, the disruptive potential of a distractor sequence is only determined by its acoustic and not its semantic features. According to models that allow for auditory distractors to capture attention, words that violate a previously built-up semantic expectation should produce a particularly large irrelevant sound effect. In line with this assumption, sentences with semantically mismatching last words caused greater disruption of serial recall than sentences with semantically matching last words. This is a novel and interesting finding that extends previously known semantic effects. However, before definite conclusions can be drawn, a systematic investigation seems necessary on how semantic distractor features affect the disruption of serial recall by auditory distractors. This research project proposes such an investigation. Ten experiments are designed to examine the conditions, under which semantic distractor features are harmful to working memory performance, the locus of this effect, and the processes involved. Important insights are expected as to the empirical assessment of the adequacy of current working memory models.