Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm
IntroductionThe human brain processes 83% of information visually and 11% auditorily, with visual perception dominating multisensory integration. While audiovisual congruence enhances cognitive performance, the impact of audiovisual incongruence on working memory (WM) remains controversial. This stu...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578391/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849735773593534464 |
|---|---|
| author | Yang He Yang He Yang He Tianqi Yang Yuanbei Zhang Kewei Sun Qingjun Guo Qiong Chen Xuefeng Wang Xiang Xu Ping Wei Shengjun Wu Tao Xu |
| author_facet | Yang He Yang He Yang He Tianqi Yang Yuanbei Zhang Kewei Sun Qingjun Guo Qiong Chen Xuefeng Wang Xiang Xu Ping Wei Shengjun Wu Tao Xu |
| author_sort | Yang He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe human brain processes 83% of information visually and 11% auditorily, with visual perception dominating multisensory integration. While audiovisual congruence enhances cognitive performance, the impact of audiovisual incongruence on working memory (WM) remains controversial. This study investigated how audiovisual incongruence affects WM performance under varying cognitive loads.MethodsTwo experiments employed a dual 2-back+Go/NoGo paradigm with 120 college students. Experiment 1 used alphanumeric stimuli (numbers/letters), while Experiment 2 utilized complex picture stimuli. Participants completed WM tasks under three conditions: visual-only, auditory-only, and incongruent audiovisual. Performance comparisons between unimodal and cross-modal conditions were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests.ResultsExperiment 1 revealed visual interference on auditory WM (p <.05) but minimal auditory interference on visual WM. Experiment 2 demonstrated bidirectional interference between modalities (both p <.001), with cross-modal competition intensifying under high cognitive load. Results indicated interference patterns were mediated by cognitive load dynamics rather than fixed sensory hierarchies.DiscussionAudiovisual incongruence systematically disrupts WM performance, challenging conventional sensory dominance models. While low cognitive load permits strategic visual prioritization, high load triggers competitive cross-modal interactions. These findings suggest adaptive resource allocation mechanisms in WM that supersede strict visual supremacy principles, highlighting the context-dependent nature of multisensory integration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d63858a9f2de4c81869475193f67736f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d63858a9f2de4c81869475193f67736f2025-08-20T03:07:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-06-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15783911578391Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigmYang He0Yang He1Yang He2Tianqi Yang3Yuanbei Zhang4Kewei Sun5Qingjun Guo6Qiong Chen7Xuefeng Wang8Xiang Xu9Ping Wei10Shengjun Wu11Tao Xu12School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaPsychology Section, Secondary Sanatorium of Air Force Healthcare Center for Special Services, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, ChinaDepartment of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, ChinaDepartment of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, ChinaDepartment of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, ChinaPsychology Section, Secondary Sanatorium of Air Force Healthcare Center for Special Services, Hangzhou, ChinaPsychology Section, Secondary Sanatorium of Air Force Healthcare Center for Special Services, Hangzhou, ChinaPilot Selection Bureau of PLA Air Force, Beijing, ChinaAir Force Bureau of Trainee Pilot Selection, Nanjing Central Division, Nanjing, ChinaAir Force Bureau of Trainee Pilot Selection, Jinan Central Division, Jinan, ChinaDepartment of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, ChinaPsychology Section, Secondary Sanatorium of Air Force Healthcare Center for Special Services, Hangzhou, ChinaIntroductionThe human brain processes 83% of information visually and 11% auditorily, with visual perception dominating multisensory integration. While audiovisual congruence enhances cognitive performance, the impact of audiovisual incongruence on working memory (WM) remains controversial. This study investigated how audiovisual incongruence affects WM performance under varying cognitive loads.MethodsTwo experiments employed a dual 2-back+Go/NoGo paradigm with 120 college students. Experiment 1 used alphanumeric stimuli (numbers/letters), while Experiment 2 utilized complex picture stimuli. Participants completed WM tasks under three conditions: visual-only, auditory-only, and incongruent audiovisual. Performance comparisons between unimodal and cross-modal conditions were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests.ResultsExperiment 1 revealed visual interference on auditory WM (p <.05) but minimal auditory interference on visual WM. Experiment 2 demonstrated bidirectional interference between modalities (both p <.001), with cross-modal competition intensifying under high cognitive load. Results indicated interference patterns were mediated by cognitive load dynamics rather than fixed sensory hierarchies.DiscussionAudiovisual incongruence systematically disrupts WM performance, challenging conventional sensory dominance models. While low cognitive load permits strategic visual prioritization, high load triggers competitive cross-modal interactions. These findings suggest adaptive resource allocation mechanisms in WM that supersede strict visual supremacy principles, highlighting the context-dependent nature of multisensory integration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578391/fullaudiovisual incongruenceworking memorycross-modal competitioncognitive load dynamics2-back+Go/NoGointerference effect |
| spellingShingle | Yang He Yang He Yang He Tianqi Yang Yuanbei Zhang Kewei Sun Qingjun Guo Qiong Chen Xuefeng Wang Xiang Xu Ping Wei Shengjun Wu Tao Xu Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm Frontiers in Psychology audiovisual incongruence working memory cross-modal competition cognitive load dynamics 2-back+Go/NoGo interference effect |
| title | Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm |
| title_full | Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm |
| title_short | Exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2-back+ Go/NoGo paradigm |
| title_sort | exploring the effects of audiovisual incongruence on working memory performance in the combined 2 back go nogo paradigm |
| topic | audiovisual incongruence working memory cross-modal competition cognitive load dynamics 2-back+Go/NoGo interference effect |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578391/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yanghe exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT yanghe exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT yanghe exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT tianqiyang exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT yuanbeizhang exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT keweisun exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT qingjunguo exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT qiongchen exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT xuefengwang exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT xiangxu exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT pingwei exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT shengjunwu exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm AT taoxu exploringtheeffectsofaudiovisualincongruenceonworkingmemoryperformanceinthecombined2backgonogoparadigm |