How spatial information structuring in an interactive technological environment affects decision performance under working memory load

Abstract

In situations (over-)taxing working memory (WM), offloading cognitive burdens and operations onto an interactive technological device could be key to success. Technological support allowing external storage and manipulation of information like in WM could offer even greater benefits in these demanding situations, where reducing WM burdens is essential for task performance, than in less demanding situations. However, the relationship between technological offloading support and WM load has not been systematically examined. This study (N = 138) therefore investigated the effectiveness of self-directed structuring functions allowing the manipulation of information on a multi-touch table to support complex decision-making under induced low and high WM load (contrasted with no self-structuring support). Individuals equipped with self-structuring demonstrated deeper information processing irrespective of load. Measures for updating of mental representations showed partially higher effectiveness of self-structuring support under high load. Descriptive statistics for correct decisions could show self-structuring helping to maintain or even improve performance especially under high WM load, while corresponding inference statistics could not. Thus, results for correct decisions were inconclusive. Detailed process analyses showed that specific structuring strategies rather than overall structuring amount were related to better decisions and point out possibilities to increase self-structuring effectiveness.