Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2023
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Timothy J Ricker
Abstract
We rely on our capacity for rapid attention switching to conduct multiple tasks simultaneously. Leading working memory models assume that memory maintenance and attention-demanding secondary task processing cannot coincide. Any reduction in memory maintenance activities occurring due to secondary task processing leads to impaired recall. This temporal relationship is typically characterized through the proportion of time spent attending to the concurrent processing task, also called cognitive load. Although the primary determinant of forgetting in leading models, recent findings show limitations to cognitive load effects in multitasking. We investigated whether the effects of cognitive load are a byproduct of subjective task difficulty assessments by participants during a visuospatial working-memory dual-task by asking participants to complete subjective workload measurement (NASA-TLX). Results were compared to objective cognitive load to determine which measurement is a better model for predicting multitasking effects. The present findings inform our understanding of human working memory capabilities and the role of both subjective workload and objective cognitive load in driving memory performance during multitasking.
Subject Categories
Cognitive Psychology | Psychology
Keywords
Visual working memory, Working memory
Number of Pages
53
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
McCray, Megan, "WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE: IS SUBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT A BETTER PREDICTOR THAN COGNITIVE LOAD?" (2023). Dissertations and Theses. 147.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/147