The Effect Of Speed Pressure On Working Memory During...

Abstract This study examined the effects of speed pressure on working memory during mental arithmetic tasks. 392 undergraduate students’ working memory capacities were measured and participants were divided into high and low working memory groups. They were then randomly assigned into the fast or slow condition and tested with the critical stimuli compromised of addition equations. The findings showed that fast conditions result in higher error rates than the slow conditions. The speed pressure also caused high working memory individuals to shift from using rule based processing to associative processing whereas low working memory individuals used associative processing in both conditions. However, the study found that both groups show†¦show more content†¦Previous studies (Beilock, 2008; Beilock, Kulp, Hot, Carr, 2004; Beilock Carr, 2005; Gimmig et al., 2006; Beilock DeCaro, 2007) have examined ‘choking under pressure’ and concluded that it occurs for those wi th high working memory (HWM) capacities whereas low working memory (LWM) individuals were not affected. Although this finding has been common amongst researchers, each have examined different factors contributing towards pressure induced failure, in an attempt to explain the phenomena and most accurately coincide with real life situations. According to Beilock et al., (2004), explicit monitoring and the Distraction Theory are reasons as to why skills may fail under pressure. Explicit monitoring, or self-focus, causes the disruption of automatic processes as individuals force conscious control over the task, causing poorer performance despite the extra effort and attention (Beilock et al., 2004). In contrast, the Distraction Theory claims that pressures fill the WM with worries and concerns over performance and task content which in consequence competes with the resources which are normally utilised for execution (Beilock et al., 2004). To date, most researchers have provided evidence in support for explicit monitoring and its effects of choking under pressure whilst the Distraction Theory has not been adequately