Work

Does working memory load lead to greater impulsivity? Commentary on Hinson, Jameson, and Whitney (2003).

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: Previous research by J. M. Hinson, T. L. Jameson, and P. Whitney (2003) demonstrated that a secondary task in a delayed discounting paradigm increased subjects' preference for the immediate reward. J. M. Hinson et al. interpreted their findings as evidence that working memory load results in greater impulsivity. The present authors conducted a reanalysis of the data from J. M. Hinson et al.'s Experiment 1 at the individual-subject level. Difference scores were calculated by subtracting the digit memory load condition from the control condition for k (discounting parameter) and a measure of "erroneous" responses. The results indicated that the secondary task increased random responding, which in turn can account for the increased mean estimates of k. Thus, the data do not support the claim that cognitive load affects impulsivity per se.

Source: Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition

DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.32.2.443

Authors: Ana M. Franco-Watkins, Harold Pashler, Timothy C. Rickard

Institution: University of California San Diego

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health

Awards: STRATEGY SHIFTS AND AUTOMATIZATION OF COGNITIVE SKILLS, Perceptual &Cognitive Components of Attention