The role of working memory in analogical mapping

The impact of a working-memory load on analogical mapping was examined in t wo experiments, using a dual-task paradigm. In Experiment 1, we used a phon ological working-memory load; in Experiment 2, we used a phonological worki ng-memory load and an executive working-memory load. The subjects were requ ired to identify correspondences between visual scenes, either for single o bjects or for three objects simultaneously. The results indicated that the imposition of either a phonological or an executive working-memory load dec reased the frequency with which the subjects identified correspondences bet ween scenes based on relations and increased the frequency with which they identified correspondences based on object attributes. The frequency with w hich subjects made relational mappings was increased by the instruction to find correspondences for multiple objects in a scene simultaneously, rather than for just one. These results indicate that mapping on the basis of rel ations places greater demands on both modality-specific buffers and executi ve components of working memory than does mapping on the basis of object at tributes.