The reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items

Şentürk, Yağmur Damla and Ünver, Nursima and Demircan, Can and Egner, Tobias and Günseli, Eren (2024) The reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items. Cortex, 171 . pp. 465-480. ISSN 0010-9452 (Print) 1973-8102 (Online)

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Abstract

Working memory (WM) describes the temporary storage of task-relevant items and procedural rules to guide action. Despite its central importance for goal-directed behavior, the interplay between WM and long-term memory (LTM) remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that repeated use of the same task-relevant item in WM results in a hand-off of the storage of that item to LTM, and switching to a new item reactivates WM. To further elucidate the rules governing WM-LTM interactions, we here planned to probe whether a change in task rules, independent of a switch in task-relevant items, would also lead to WM reactivation of maintained items. To this end, we used scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) data, specifically the contralateral delay activity (CDA), to track WM item storage while manipulating repetitions and changes in task rules and task-relevant items across trials in a visual WM task. We tested two rival hypotheses: If changes in task rules result in a reactivation of the target item representation, then the CDA should increase when a task change is cued even when the same target has been repeated across trials. However, if the reactivation of a task-relevant item only depends on the mnemonic availability of the item itself instead of the task it is used for, then only the changes in task-relevant items should reactivate the representations. Accordingly, the CDA amplitude should decrease for repeated task-relevant items independently of a task change. We found a larger CDA on task-switch compared to task-repeat trials, suggesting that the reactivation of task rules triggers the reactivation of task-relevant items in WM. By demonstrating that WM reactivation of LTM is interdependent for task rules and task-relevant items, this study informs our understanding of visual WM and its interplay with LTM. Preregistered Stage 1 protocol: https://osf.io/zp9e8 (date of in-principle acceptance: 19/12/2021).
Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Contralateral delay activity; Declarative memory; Memory reactivation (or reinstatement); Procedural memory; Working memory
Divisions: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences > Academic programs > Psychology
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Depositing User: Eren Günseli
Date Deposited: 07 Jun 2024 17:46
Last Modified: 07 Jun 2024 17:46
URI: https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/id/eprint/49005

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