Working memory capacity and suppression

Two experiments examined whether a relationship exists between an individual's working memory capacity and their ability to suppress intrusive thoughts and behaviors. In both experiments, participants learned three lists in a modified paired-associates task where the interference condition followed an AB-AC-AB design and the noninterference condition an EF-DC-AB design. Experiment 1 stressed speed, and individuals who scored high on a measure of working memory capacity (high spans) produced fewer first-list intrusions during second-list learning than did low spans. Experiment 2 stressed accuracy, and high spans in the interference condition were slower than their control to retrieve first-list responses on List 3, suggesting that they had suppressed them during second-list learning. In contrast, the low spans in the interference condition were faster than their control. The findings suggested that a relationship exists between an individual's working memory capacity and their ability to suppress intrusive thoughts and behaviors. (C) 1998 Academic Press.