Is olfactory working memory dissociated from visual and auditory working memory?
Tue-P1-042
Presented by: William Fredborg
Performance on working memory tasks is typically positively correlated, despite using different materials and task types. Individual differences in working memory performance are thus believed to relate to a common factor. However, the majority of work in the field has been conducted with visual or verbal stimuli. Much evidence suggests that olfactory memory is different from visual and verbal memory, but little research has been done on how olfaction relates to working memory. In this study, we aim to investigate if olfactory working memory is dissociated from visual and auditory working memory by looking at individual differences across sensory modalities on a common working memory task. In a cross-sectional design, 25 participants (ages 20–30) with a normal sense of smell are to perform a visual, auditory, and olfactory version of the n-back task. Performance across sensory modalities will be analyzed with correlation analysis. Preliminary results from 7 participants show a significant positive strong correlation between the visual and auditory n-back, but no significant correlation with the olfactory n-back. The preliminary results could indicate that there is indeed a dissociation for olfactory working memory. However, the data collection is ongoing, and the results will be presented in full at ECRO 2023. The study is funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).