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

工作记忆模型对哪些干扰物特征应该对当前行为目标的追求有害做出了相反的假设。计划中的研究项目旨在调查语义干扰特征在任务无关背景声音中断连续回忆中的作用。建议的实验是基于一个试点研究与有希望的结果，其中两类干扰句进行了比较：句子语义匹配的最后一个词和句子语义不匹配的最后一个词。相反的预测可以从工作记忆模型中得出，这些句子应该产生多少干扰。根据假设无关的声音效果是由自动干扰引起的模型，干扰物序列的破坏性潜力仅由其声学特征而不是其语义特征确定。根据允许听觉干扰物捕获注意力的模型，违反先前建立的语义期望的单词应该产生特别大的不相关的声音效果。根据这一假设，句子语义不匹配的最后一个词造成更大的破坏序列回忆比句子语义匹配的最后一个词。这是一个新颖而有趣的发现，扩展了先前已知的语义效果。然而，在得出明确的结论之前，似乎有必要对语义干扰物特征如何影响听觉干扰物对序列回忆的破坏进行系统的研究。本研究项目提出了这样的调查。本研究设计了10个实验，旨在考察语义干扰项特征对工作记忆成绩产生不利影响的条件、影响的部位和过程。重要的见解，预计目前的工作记忆模型的充分性的实证评估。

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.