Abstract
We previously showed that working memory (WM) performance of subclinical checkers can be affected if they are presented with irrelevant but misleading information during the retention period (Harkin and Kessler, 2009, 2011). The present study differed from our previous research in the three crucial aspects. Firstly, we employed ecologically valid stimuli in form of electrical kitchen appliances on a kitchen countertop in order to address previous criticism of our research with letters in locations as these may not have tapped into the primary concerns of checkers. Secondly, we tested whether these ecological stimuli would allow us to employ a simpler (un-blocked) design while obtaining similarly robust results. Thirdly, in Experiment 2 we improved the measure of confidence as a metacognitive variable by using a quantitative scale (0–100), which indeed revealed more robust effects that were quantitatively related to accuracy of performance. The task in the present study was to memorize four appliances, including their states (on/off), and their locations on the kitchen countertop. Memory accuracy was tested for the states of appliances in Experiment 1, and for their locations in Experiment 2. Intermediate probes were identical in both experiments and were administered during retention on 66.7% of the trials with 50% resolvable and 50% irresolvable/misleading probes. Experiment 1 revealed the efficacy of the employed stimuli by revealing a general impairment of high- compared to low checkers, which confirmed the ecological validity of our stimuli. In Experiment 2 we observed the expected, more differentiated pattern: High checkers were not generally affected in their WM performance (i.e., no general capacity issue); instead they showed a particular impairment in the misleading distractor-probe condition. Also, high checkers’ confidence ratings were indicative of a general impairment in metacognitive functioning. We discuss how specific executive dysfunction and general metacognitive impairment may affect memory traces in the short- and in the long-term.
Highlights
In this study we extended our previous research on working memory (WM) performance in subclinical checkers (Harkin and Kessler, 2009, 2011) by using stimuli that are more concordant with clinical symptomatology (Moritz and von Muehlenen, 2008)
We did this in an attempt to address a primary criticism of our previous research (Harkin and Kessler, 2009, 2011) that letters in locations do not resonate with the primary concerns of checkers
A group effect which was surprisingly not influenced by trial type. While superficially this appears to indicate a general impairment in WM capacity, we have highlighted a number of reasons why this is an unsatisfactory explanation
Summary
In this study we extended our previous research on working memory (WM) performance in subclinical checkers (Harkin and Kessler, 2009, 2011) by using stimuli that are more concordant with clinical symptomatology (Moritz and von Muehlenen, 2008). The rationale being that while we previously reported robust and replicable effects using letters in locations, a central criticism was that these stimuli do not directly relate to checking compulsions in clinical obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The motivation of pathological checking appears to reflect their distrust in a previous action and/or thought and so they check and recheck to compensate for their own perceived shortcomings (Rachman and Shafran, 1998). Their attempts to overcome distrust paradoxically increases it, as repetitive checking has been observed to reduce memory accuracy (Radomsky and Alcolado, 2010), memory for details and confidence (van den Hout and Kindt, 2003)
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