Jiahan Yu^1,2 (), Yingtao Fu², Mowei Shen², Hui Chen²; ¹Suzhou University of Science and Technology, ²Zhejiang University

Integrated information is a crucial representational structure in working memory, where disparate elements are organized into cohesive units for efficient processing. Investigating how integrated information is selectively removed from working memory is crucial for understanding its storage mechanisms and operational principles. This study examined the directed forgetting of integrated information using retro cues presented during memory maintenance, instructing participants to forget specific parts of the memorized items. Experiments 1 and 2 focused on the directed forgetting of elements within a bicolor circle composed of two differently colored semicircles. In Experiment 1, the working memory-driven attentional capture effect was used to measure the degree of forgetting. Participants performed a visual search task after the retro cue. Results showed that the to-be-forgotten color caused greater attentional capture than the irrelevant color, indicating incomplete forgetting. In Experiment 2, the irrelevant change interference effect was used to measure forgetting. Participants judged whether a probe matched the to-be-memorized color. Longer response times for probes matching the to-be-forgotten color compared to irrelevant colors indicated incomplete forgetting. Experiments 3 to 5 extended these findings to multi-item sets organized by various cues. Experiment 3 investigated colored shapes that either conformed to or deviated from the Gestalt closure principle. Experiment 4 investigated face pairs presented either facing each other or back-to-back to study the influence of social interaction cues. Experiment 5 explored real objects that were either semantically related or unrelated. Across all conditions, directed forgetting proved consistently more challenging for integrated information, regardless of the type of cue. This study highlights the inherent difficulty of forgetting integrated information in working memory, emphasizing the impact of integration on memory manipulation and control.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation Youth Program (Grant No. BK20240992)