Increasing control improves further control, but it does not enhance memory for the targets in a face-word Stroop task.

In this study, we used a face-word Stroop task to enforce different control modes either from trial to trial or in an item-specific manner. Both manipulations of congruency proved to be effective in making participants' responses to conflicting stimuli more efficient over time by applying a trial-specific control mode. However, these manipulations had no impact on memory performance on a surprise recognition memory test. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at measuring the memory consequences of the application of specific control modes at the trial level. The results reported here call for caution and possibly reconceptualization of the relationship between cognitive control and memory.
PMID: 32144648 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Memory and Cognition - March 9, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Tags: Mem Cognit Source Type: research