We explored the extent to which working memory underpins the processing of relational information in melodies. Using a between subjects design, one group of participants was primed with a melodic stream while performing a concurrent 2-back task while the other group was also primed with the melodic stream but did not perform a concurrent task. Participants were then given a melodic relational categorization task where relations (melodic contour and intervals) could either match or not match the primed melody. Reaction times on the categorization task for primed melodies tended to be faster than for non-primed melodies in the notask condition, suggesting that relational information in melodies could influence behavior more under conditions where working memory resources were not being used in concomitant tasks. Given the marginal results, more data should be collected to ascertain the full extent to which working memory is involved in the processing of relational melodic content.

Previous work suggests pictures may be processed more readily than words, likely because pictures appear tomaintain more direct access to semantic and conceptual representations (Amit, Algom, & Trope, 2009). However, it is unclearhow words and pictures may be processed differently when they are actively ignored. Our earlier work demonstrated a facilitatedrecognition for actively ignored words, provided they appeared frequently with an attended target in a previously presentedrepetition detection task (Dewald, Sinnett, & Doumas, 2012). The current study adapted this paradigm to examine the extentto which unattended pictures may be processed under analogous conditions. Overall, ignored pictures were recognized moreoften than ignored words. Moreover, recognition for ignored pictures did not benefit from target-alignment whereas ignoredwords did. These findings suggest that unattended pictures may continue to be processed more readily than words even underconditions in which attention is not directed toward them.

The ability to inhibit the processing of irrelevant informationdeclines as adults age (Hasher & Zacks, 1988; Lustig, Hasherand Tonev, 2006; Mayr, 2001). However, previous researchinvestigating inhibitory control in older adults has notevaluated the extent to which irrelevant information isprocessed and later recognized. Using a dual task paradigmwith young adults, Dewald, Sinnett, and Doumas (2011)demonstrated inhibited recognition for previously ignoredwords, provided they had appeared infrequently with targetsin the primary task, compared to words that did not appearwith targets. The current study adapted this paradigm toexamine inhibitory mechanisms in a sample of older adults.Here, older adults exhibited inhibited recognition for allwords while young adults continued to show greaterinhibition for words that had appeared with targets comparedto words that had not. This finding suggests that older adultsmay experience a decline in the selective inhibition ofirrelevant information.