Strategy sequential difficulty effects vary with working-memory and response–stimulus-intervals: A study in arithmetic

authors

• Uittenhove Kim
• Lemaire Patrick

keywords

• Arithmetic
• Strategy
• Sequential difficulty
• Working memory

document type

abstract

Strategy sequential difficulty effects are the findings that when participants execute strategies, performance is worse after a difficult strategy than after an easy strategy (Uittenhove & Lemaire, 2012). Strategy sequential difficulty effects are hypothesized to result from decreased working-memory resources following difficult strategy execution. In the present study we found a correlation between individuals' working memory and strategy sequential difficulty effects in arithmetic, supporting a working-memory account of these effects. Furthermore, we varied response-stimulus intervals, and we found decreased strategy sequential difficulty effects with increasing response-stimulus intervals. Implications of these findings for further understanding of strategic variations in human cognition are discussed.

more information