Search

During the last two decades, there has been a widespread interest in working memory (WM) training among researchers and the public. As current WM training studies have been criticized for the lack of theory-based approaches explaining the mechanism that underlies WM and transfer, recently, Gathercole et al. (2019) presented a new framework conceptualizing training-induced changes in WM as the acquisition of novel cognitive routines similar to learning a new skill. From this new framework, we can infer that WM training might not always result in positive outcomes when considering the variability of newly formed routines and the impact that routines bring on one’s intelligence. Thus, the primary goal of this study is to demonstrate the negative effect of working memory training. We have already conducted Study 1 fully online using a two-phase training paradigm, which has developed by Susan Gathercole and Dennis Norris at Cambridge. The results indicated that training of circle span backward task transferred negatively to subsequent training of letter span backward task. It is inferred that the impaired performance of letter span backward training may reflect disruptions by incompatible cognitive routines generated in the former training phase. Using a reversed design corresponding to Study 1, Study 2 will be conducted online to further examine the above hypotheses emerged from the results of Study 1.

Our pilot study indicated a positive correlation between working memory (WM) performance and social network size. This project aims to replicate findings of the pilot study.

A series of our previous experiments (Exp. 1 – 3) with an interference task (the Multi-Source Interference Task, Bush & Shin, 2006) have been conducted to investigate control schedule learning, that is adjustment of executive function based on temporal regularity. This planed experiment (Exp. 4) aims at replicating the results of Exp. 2. Temporal position of interference stimuli in successive five trials was manipulated. In a uniform group, interference stimuli were presented uniformly on 2 – 5 trials. In a consistent group(s), they were presented on a fixed position (e.g., position 2 for the consistent 2 group or position 3 for the consistent 3 group). In a biased group, they were presented on the position 4 with the probability of 80%. In other words, interference stimuli were likely to appear on a specific position but did not always appear on that position. Exp. 1 had three consistent groups (the consistent 2, 3, 4 groups) and a uniform group with 4 blocks. Exp. 2 had a biased group and a uniform group with 4 blocks. Exp. 3 had the three groups (consistent, biased, and uniform) with 12 blocks. The sample size for previous experiments (Exp. 1 – 3) was determined in a heuristic manner: For Exp. 1 and 2 it was set to secure a statistical power of 80% by presuming a small effect size (f = .10) and for Exp. 3 it was arranged by a “rule of thumb” of 1,600 observations per condition in analysis with mixed effects models (Brysbaert & Stevens, 2018). The results of Exp. 1 – 3 were inconsistent with each other. Exp. 1 showed that accuracy on interference stimuli was higher for the three consistent groups than for the uniform group (the contrast of the three consistent groups vs. the uniform group). We did not find such a pattern in response times. For accuracy of interference stimuli on position 4, Exp. 2 did not indicate an advantage of the biased group over the uniform group but showed the interaction between group and block. The pattern of this interaction indicated that the advantage for the biased group over the uniform group became more pronounced as the block progressed, suggesting a learning effect. For response times, we did not find either an advantage for the biased group or interaction between group and block. For performance for interference stimuli on position 4, Exp. 3 did not demonstrate either the effect of groups or interaction on accuracy performance although it showed the interaction between group and stimulus type (interference vs. control stimuli on position 4) on RT performance. Given the inconsistency of results in Exp. 1 – 3, post-hoc power analyses were conducted regarding accuracy (i.e., observed power calculation), using simr package in R. For Exp. 1 the estimated power was approximately 70.50% for the contrast of the three consistent groups vs. the uniform group. For Exp. 2 it was approximately 36.90% and 55.80% for the main effect (group) and the interaction (group x block). For Exp. 3 it was approximately 33.60% and 22.90% for the contrast (consistent & biased vs. uniform) and interaction (the contrast x block). The estimated powers indicate that the previous experiments were under powered (< 80%). Therefore, Exp. 4 was designed to provide conclusive evidence that would resolve the inconsistency between the previous experiments. It aims to directly replicate Exp. 2 by following the procedure of Exp. 2 but increases the sample size to secure the statistical power of 80%. The sample size was determined as 700 participants to secure statistical power of 80% for the main effect of group (i.e., biased vs. uniform) and that of 93% for the interaction between group x block based on effect sizes calculated by the results of Exp. 2.

Registration for a replication of the previous study on the semantic similarity effect on short-term memory, entitled "Whether and how semantic similarity impairs short-term memory: A test with a new index of semantic similarity" (https://psyarxiv.com/va5js/).

The Hebb repetition effect on serial-recall task refers to the improvement in the accuracy of recall of a repeated list (e.g., repeated in every 3 trials) over random non-repeated lists. Previous research has shown that both temporal position and neighboring items need to be the same on each repetition list for the Hebb repetition effect to occur, suggesting chunking as one of its underlying mechanisms. Accordingly, one can expect absence of the Hebb repetition effect in a complex span task, given that the sequence is interrupted by distractors. Nevertheless, one study by Oberauer, Jones, and Lewandowsky (2015, Memory & Cognition, 43[6], 852–865) showed evidence of the Hebb repetition effect in a complex span task. Throughout four experiments, we confirmed the Hebb repetition effect in complex span tasks, even when we included distractors in both encoding and recall phases to avoid any resemblance to a simple span task and minimized the possibility of chunking. Results showed that the Hebb repetition effect was not affected by the distractors during encoding and recall. A transfer cycle analysis showed that the long-term knowledge acquired in the complex span task can be transferred to a simple span task. These findings provide the first insights on the mechanism behind the Hebb repetition effect in complex span tasks; it is at least partially based on the same mechanism that improves recall performance by repetition in simple span tasks.

Additional file 2. Fig. S1. DMRs of the genes in network 2 in livers of the Japanese and Italian HCC patients.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pss-10.1177_09567976221074650 for Cultures Crossing: The Power of Habit in Delaying Gratification by Kaichi Yanaoka, Laura E. Michaelson, Ryan Mori Guild, Grace Dostart, Jade Yonehiro, Satoru Saito and Yuko Munakata in Psychological Science

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pss-10.1177_09567976221074650 for Cultures Crossing: The Power of Habit in Delaying Gratification by Kaichi Yanaoka, Laura E. Michaelson, Ryan Mori Guild, Grace Dostart, Jade Yonehiro, Satoru Saito and Yuko Munakata in Psychological Science

Additional file 1. Table S1. Commonly observed genes in HCC (GSE89852 and GSE56588) and NAFLD (JGAS00000000059 and GSE31803).

The literature suggests that semantic similarity has a weak or null effect for immediate serial reconstruction and a facilitative effect for immediate serial recall. These observed semantic similarity effects are inconsistent with the assumptions of short-term memory (STM) models on the detrimental effect of similarity (e.g., confusion) and with observations of a robust detrimental effect of phonological similarity. Our review indicates that the experimental results are likely dependent on the manipulation strength for semantic similarity and that manipulations used in previous studies might have affected semantic assvociation as well as semantic similarity. To address these possible issues, two indices are proposed: (a) strength of manipulation on semantic similarity, gained by quantifying semantic similarity based on Osgood and associates’ dimensional view of semantics, and (b) inter-item associative strength, a possible confounding factor. Our review and the results of a meta-regression analysis using these two indices suggest that semantic similarity has a detrimental effect on both serial reconstruction and serial recall, while semantic association, which is correlated with semantic similarity, contributes to an apparent facilitative effect. An effect that is not attributable to similarity or association was also implied. Review on item and order memory further suggests the facilitative effect of semantic association on item memory and the detrimental effect of the semantic similarity on order memory. Based on our findings, we propose a unified explanation of observations of semantic similarity effects for both serial reconstruction and serial recall that is in good accord with STM models.

Supplemental material, QJE-STD-17-344.R2-Supplemental_Material_1 for Person-based organisation in working memory by Sho Ishiguro and Satoru Saito in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

We study periodicity conditions of a rational map on $\bm{C}^d$ with $p$ invariants and show that a set of isolated periodic points and an algebraic variety of finife dimension do not exist in one map simultaneously if $p\ge d/2$. We also discuss in detail how the transition takes place between them., Comment: 18 pages, content changed to improve

A realization of discrete conjugate net is presented by using correlation functions of strings in a gauge covariant form., Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages

The correspondence between two geometrical descriptions of the KP-hierarchy, one by discrete surface and another by difference analogue of differential geometry, is given.

The Laughlin function of quantum Hall effect is shown to satisfy Hirota's bilinear difference equation with certain coefficients a little different from the KP hierarchy. Vertex operators which constitute blocks of solutions generate a B\"acklund transformation. Besides the Laughlin function, the equation admits soliton solutions., Comment: Latex 11pages(LaTeX) TMUP-HEL-9311