Dissertation
Is free-choice bias to avoid competition between action plans related to working memory capacity?
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004667
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/125483
Abstract
The ability to make fast and accurate decisions while retaining future goals is imperative for efficiently navigating the environment. Partial repetition of action features between an intervening action and a retained action may cause code confusion leading to longer reaction times and higher error rates when partial repetition occurs compared to when it does not. Previous research has shown higher partial repetition costs are related to lower working memory span. Higher partial repetition costs have been shown to be related to higher free-choice bias to avoid partial repetition. Currently it is unknown whether higher free-choice bias to avoid partial repetition is related to lower working memory capacity. To explore whether higher bias to avoid partial repetition is related to lower working memory capacity, participants completed a partial repetition task, then on a separate day completed three different tasks that measured working memory capacity. A linear regression model regressing four measures of working memory capacity from the three working memory tasks onto the frequency partial repetition was avoided found no significant working memory predictors of free-choice bias. Lower working memory capacity measures were not found to predict higher bias to avoid partial repetition or higher partial repetition costs. However, it is possible the working memory tasks were not sensitive enough to detect individual differences in working memory capacity. Therefore, further research is required to determine whether lower working memory capacity predicts higher bias to avoid response competition.
Metrics
5 File views/ downloads
37 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Is free-choice bias to avoid competition between action plans related to working memory capacity?
- Creators
- Benjamin Paul Richardson
- Contributors
- Lisa R. Fournier (Advisor)John Hinson (Committee Member)Sammy Perone (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 61
- Identifiers
- 99900962433501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation