Recent WM theories replaced the controlling instance by an input-gating mechanism. Thus, a control mechanism is required to regulate the two functions ( Rac-Lubashevsky and Kessler, 2016a, b). stability conflict as the new information can be relevant and trigger updating or can be irrelevant and should be inhibited. Updating and maintenance are in flexibility vs. The crucial functions are updating, i.e., the ability to replace stored information by new upcoming information ( Ecker et al., 2014 Rey-Mermet et al., 2017) and maintenance of the stored unit in stable manner, impenetrable to irrelevant distraction from the environment. However, more recent models questioned the existence of the central executive and provided a functional explanation of processes involved in WM. This model is consistent with common structural ( Baddeley, 1986) as well as functional models of storage ( Nairne, 2002). Otherwise task-relevant information can be retrieved from the long-term storage. According to them, ‘executive attention’ is only required when information has to be maintained during interference. Kane and Engle (2002) elaborated on the question what abilities are asked for in interference-free and interference-rich conditions. Executive attention is required when we need to process additional information simultaneously ( Engle et al., 1999 Unsworth and Engle, 2007 Myers et al., 2017). Information has to be stored but not manipulated. There are situations in which only short-term memory capacity (STMC), a domain-specific skill is challenged, for example when we need to keep a telephone number in mind. The central executive controls and coordinates the slave systems.ĭifferent tasks require more or less activation of the central executive. It is assumed that the visuo-spatial sketchpad is involved in setting up and maintaining visuospatial information, while the phonological loop represents a temporary storage for speech-based information. These systems maintain incoming information and are being controlled by an amodal central executive. Older theories base on Baddeley’s (1986) account, which defines WM as at least two slave systems (the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad). WM stores and updates relevant information to enable goal directed behavior. Working memory (WM) is a complex system, in which incoming information is maintained and processed despite interference and distraction ( Miyake, 2001 Conway et al., 2005 Diamond, 2013). In contrast, in older age, mainly attentional, verbal memory, and updating and to a lesser extent executive processes seem to play a crucial role in the n-back task, suggesting a shift of processing strategies across the lifespan. Most importantly, correlations yielded different age-related patterns of functions contributing to performance in the n-back task: whereas performance was most related to executive functions in young age, a combination of attentional and executive processes was associated with performance in middle-aged subjects. Age-related impairments were also found in all psychometric tests except for the vocabulary choice test measuring crystallized intelligence. The results show a progressive increase in reaction times and a decrease in the proportion of detected targets from young to old subjects. A series of correlation analyses was conducted to assess the relationship between n-back performance and specific cognitive functions in each age group separately. A number of psychometric tests was selected that measure attention, memory, and executive control to elucidate the impact of these constructs on n-back performance. The sample was divided into three age groups: young (20–40), middle-aged (41–60), and old (61–80 years). To this end, we conducted a study in a sample of N = 533 individuals aged between 20 and 80 years. Moreover, to date, no studies analyzed the construct validity as a function of age. Although the n-back task is widely used in aging research, little is known about its construct validity and specific cognitive functions involved in this task. The WM capacity is often measured by means of the computerized version of the n-back task. Working memory (WM) declines with increasing age. 3Institute for Working, Learning and Aging, Bochum, Germany.2Department of Psychology, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.1Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.Gajewski 1*, Eva Hanisch 2, Michael Falkenstein 3, Sven Thönes 1 and Edmund Wascher 1
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