Wahlheim, Alexander, & Kane (forthcoming) - Interpolated retrieval effects on list isolation: Individual differences in working memory capacity

We examined the effects of interpolated retrieval from long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) on list isolation in dual-list free recall and whether individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) moderated those effects. Ninety-seven subjects completed study-test trials that included two study lists separated by either an exemplar generation task (LTM retrieval) or 2-back task (STM retrieval). Subjects then completed an externalized free recall task that allowed for examination of response accessibility and monitoring. Individual differences in WMC were assessed using three complex span tasks: Operation Span, Reading Span, and Rotation Span. Correct recall and intratrial intrusion summary scores showed no effect of interpolated retrieval on response accessibility or monitoring. However, serial position curves for correct recall of List 1 showed larger primacy in the 2-back than exemplar generation task for high-WMC subjects. We interpret these results from a context change perspective as showing that interpolated LTM retrieval accelerated context change for subjects who processed context more effectively. We consider the implications of these findings for models of memory.