Abstract
Common ailments such as dementia and attention deficit disorders show a decrease in the individual's ability to perform tasks that utilize executive functioning. To measure executive functioning, we focus on two important components: working memory and response inhibition. Working memory measures the ability to handle multiple tasks at once and has been correlated with IQ. Response inhibition is the ability to stop an ongoing response. There is a debate about whether response inhibition and working memory are separate or overlapping functions when performing cognitive tasks. The stop-signal task was used to measure response inhibition under two conditions of high or low working memory load. The two loads were used to assess the independence between working memory and response inhibition. If working memory and response inhibition are independent, working memory load should not interfere with response inhibition. We found partial independence between working memory and response inhibition. We also measured working memory capacity. We hypothesized that individual differences such as multi-lingualism, video gaming, and athleticism will positively correlate with working memory capacity. The results show a trend that the participants in these categories are more likely to have higher scores than other participants. Findings from the present study can also provide information regarding a possible relationship between working memory and response inhibition, as well as suggest cognitive benefits of multi-lingualism, video gaming, and athletics.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Leanne Boucher
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
Are Working Memory and Response Inhibition Correlated with Executive Function?
Alvin Sherman Library
Common ailments such as dementia and attention deficit disorders show a decrease in the individual's ability to perform tasks that utilize executive functioning. To measure executive functioning, we focus on two important components: working memory and response inhibition. Working memory measures the ability to handle multiple tasks at once and has been correlated with IQ. Response inhibition is the ability to stop an ongoing response. There is a debate about whether response inhibition and working memory are separate or overlapping functions when performing cognitive tasks. The stop-signal task was used to measure response inhibition under two conditions of high or low working memory load. The two loads were used to assess the independence between working memory and response inhibition. If working memory and response inhibition are independent, working memory load should not interfere with response inhibition. We found partial independence between working memory and response inhibition. We also measured working memory capacity. We hypothesized that individual differences such as multi-lingualism, video gaming, and athleticism will positively correlate with working memory capacity. The results show a trend that the participants in these categories are more likely to have higher scores than other participants. Findings from the present study can also provide information regarding a possible relationship between working memory and response inhibition, as well as suggest cognitive benefits of multi-lingualism, video gaming, and athletics.
