Table 8.

Overview of WMDEC predictions regarding memory and task span in Study 4, and the impact of task switch frequency during maintenance and retention interval on serial recall performance in Study 5.

PREDICTION	WHATa	WMDEC EXPLANATION
Memory and task span	M(n) ≃ T(n)	As recall of task names calls on EB, whereas task execution on EM, no interference is expected between recall and task execution
Memory span increases with length	M(L) > M(l), L > l	For list lengths within capacity, more items are recalled the longer the lists
Task span increases with length	T(L) > T(l), L > l	For list lengths within capacity, more of the named tasks will be executed correctly
Memory span and chunk size	MC(n) > Mc(n), C > c	The larger the chunks, the more elements can be correctly recalled
Task span and chunk size	TC(n) > Tc(n), C > c	When more task names are correctly recalled because of chunk size, more of the tasks will be correctly executed
Study 5: Memory span as function of switch frequency
Alternations and repetitions	Malt < Mrep	Because alternations last longer than repetitions, they block refreshment for a longer time
Few and more switches	Mmany < Mfew	As task switches take longer than repetitions, the more switches occur the longer refreshment is blocked; this is the case for tasks presented during maintenance as well as during the retention interval

^a Memory span varies with the length of the to-be-remembered sequence (M(n)), where n is the number of elements, and also chunking affects the memory span (M_c(n)), where c is the size of the chunks. In Study 4, also the task span is measured (e.g., T(n)). In Study 4, the memory span is registered under task alternation (M_alt) or task repetition (M_rep), and conditions with many (M_many) or few (M_few) switches.