Reassessing Proactive Interference in Visual Working Memory

This page provides data files for two experiments assessing proactive interference in visual working memory. The materials/methods are available at https://app.gorilla.sc/openmaterials/1247884. Two experiments combined the Repeated-Unique Paradigm (RUP), originally developed by Endress and Potter (2014; see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23937181/), with the Recent-Probes Task. Both procedures can be used to measure proactive interference (in this case, for visual stimuli). The basic trial structure starts with a fixation cross, for 750 ms, and then four to-be-remembered targets, each shown for 250 ms. An unfilled 1 s retention interval followed the fourth and final target. In Experiment 1, the recognition test used a single probe (requiring a match/mismatch response) and Experiment 2's recognition test used a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) task. One manipulation was the condition. In the repeated condition, all targets were drawn from a small pool of eight items. To avoid all participants experiencing the same items, eight different stimulus sets were created (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J), where each set contained eight different images. Participants were randomly allocated to receive one of the stimulus sets. In the unique condition, all targets were novel and used only once. In Experiment 1, trials in the repeated and unique condition were split into four different trial blocks, whereas in Experiment 2, there were three different trial blocks. Additionally, all participants experienced a practice block before the main experiment, containing the eight stimuli forming their repeated condition. The other manipulation was the probe. In Experiment 1, single probes were shown, which either matched one of the current targets or did not. There were three types of mismatching probe: N-1 probes showed an untested target from the previous trial, N-3 probes showed an untested target from Trial N-3, and N-5 probes showed an untested target from Trial N-5. In Experiment 1, half of all probes were Positive/Matching, where the probe did match one of the current targets, and the remaining half of probes were equally divided between N-1, N-3 and N-5 items. In Experiment 2, the recognition trial presented a target from the current trial along with an untested target from either Trial N-1, Trial N-3 or Trial N-5 (the foil). Stimuli were selected from Brady et al.'s (2008) database, available at https://konklab.fas.harvard.edu/#) - the "Massive Memory" Unique Object Images. The arrangements for the RUP were informed by Shoval and Makovski (2021; https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-64297-002), but adapted to incorporate different probe types and recognition tests. Data are provided separately for Experiment 1 (old/new recognition test) and Experiment 2 (two-alternative forced-choice test).