Does matching a task to a distressing memory place a greater load on working memory?

Details

Auditory and visual emotional memories can be made less emotional by loading working memory during recall. This load can be modality-specific, such as an auditory task during recall of an auditory memory or a visuospatial task during recall of a visual memory, or cross-modal, such as an auditory task during visual recall or vice versa. The researchers tested whether modality-specific loading taxes working memory more than cross-modal loading.

Ninety-six participants first performed visual and auditory baseline Random Interval Repetition tasks, pressing a button as quickly as possible in response to a visual or auditory stimulus. They then recalled a distressing visual memory and a distressing auditory memory while performing the same visual and auditory Random Interval Repetition tasks. Longer reaction times compared with baseline indicated working-memory loading.

Using Bayesian statistics, the researchers compared five models addressing general and modality-specific loading. There was support both for a model of the general effect of dual tasking on working memory regardless of modality match and for a model of modality-specific loading. The combination of both models received the most support. The results suggest a general working-memory load from dual tasking, with an additional load when the modalities match.