Can working memory be non-conscious?
نویسندگان
چکیده
Working memory (WM) is closely linked to conscious awareness: In most conceptions of WM, the inputs to WM need to be conscious. The findings of some recent studies, however, have been taken to suggest that WM can indeed operate on non-conscious inputs. Here, we argue that these findings can easily be accommodated by conventional conceptions of non-conscious perception and conscious WM. We conclude that these studies do not provide conclusive evidence for non-conscious WM. It is thus too early to dismiss the traditional view of a tight link between WM and conscious awareness.
منابع مشابه
A theory of working memory without consciousness or sustained activity
Working memory and conscious perception are thought to share similar brain mechanisms, yet recent reports of non-conscious working memory challenge this view. Combining visual masking with magnetoencephalography, we investigate the reality of non-conscious working memory and dissect its neural mechanisms. In a spatial delayed-response task, participants reported the location of a subjectively u...
متن کاملThe conjunction of non-consciously perceived object identity and spatial position can be retained during a visual short-term memory task
Although non-consciously perceived information has previously been assumed to be short-lived (< 500 ms), recent findings show that non-consciously perceived information can be maintained for at least 15 s. Such findings can be explained as working memory without a conscious experience of the information to be retained. However, whether or not working memory can operate on non-consciously percei...
متن کاملNeural Evidence for Non-conscious Working Memory.
Recent studies have found that non-consciously perceived information can be retained for several seconds, a feat that has been attributed to non-conscious working memory processes. However, these studies have mainly relied on subjective measures of visual experience, and the neural processes responsible for non-conscious short-term retention remains unclear. Here we used continuous flash suppre...
متن کاملEffects of Selective iNOS Inhibitor on Spatial Memory in Recovered and Non-Recovered Ketamine Induced Anesthesia
Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be involved in spatial learning and memory in several brain areas such as hippocampus. This study examined the effects of post-training intrahippocampal microinjections of 1400W as a selective iNOS inhibitor on spatial memory, in anesthetized and non-anesthetized situations in rats. In the present work, 4-day training trials of animals were conducted. Spatial mem...
متن کاملEffects of Selective iNOS Inhibitor on Spatial Memory in Recovered and Non-recovered Ketamine Induced-anesthesia in Wistar Rats
Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be involved in spatial learning and memory in several brain areas such as hippocampus. This study examined the effects of post-training intrahippocampal microinjections of 1400W as a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor on spatial memory, in both anesthetized and non-anesthetized situations in rats. In the present work, 4-day training trials...
متن کامل