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The effect of memory load on negative priming: An individual differences investigation

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Abstract

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia The effect of a verbal (Experiment 1) and a nonverbal (Experiment 2) memory load on negative priming was investigated by employing a concurrent memory task with a letter naming task. Across both experiments, negative priming was reliable only under conditions of zero memory load, suggesting that the processes that contribute to negative priming are resource demanding and dependent on a domainfree resource pool. Individual differences in negative priming were observed, such that high working memory capacity subjects showed reliable negative priming whereas low working memory capacity subjects did not. The results suggest that the negative priming effect results from allocation of controlled attention and that individual differences in working memory capacity correspond to the ability to efficiently handle irrelevant information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois

    Stephen W. Tuholski

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

    Rebecca J. Shisler

  3. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

    Randall W. Engle

  4. Department of Psychology (M/C 285), University of Illinois, 1007 West Harrison Street, 60607, Chicago, IL

    Andrew R. A. Conway

Authors
  1. Andrew R. A. Conway
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  2. Stephen W. Tuholski
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  3. Rebecca J. Shisler
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  4. Randall W. Engle
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Correspondence to Andrew R. A. Conway.

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Conway, A.R.A., Tuholski, S.W., Shisler, R.J. et al. The effect of memory load on negative priming: An individual differences investigation. Mem Cogn 27, 1042–1050 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201233

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201233

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