Biomedical subjects

Michael Bunting

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Bunting.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Proactive interference and item similarity in working memory.

Proactive interference (PI) may influence the predictive utility of working memory span tasks. Participants in one experiment (N=70) completed Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and multiple versions of operation span and probed recall, modified for the type of memoranda (digits or words). Changing memoranda within- or across-trials released PI, but not doing so permitted PI buildup. Scores from PI-build trials, but not PI-release trials, correlated with RAPM and accounted for as much variance in RAPM as unmodified tasks. These results are consistent with controlled attention and inhibition accounts of working memory, and they elucidate a fundamental component of working memory span tasks.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

How does running memory span work?

In running memory span, a list ends unpredictably, and the last few items are to be recalled. This task is of increasing importance in recent research. We argue that there are two very different strategies for performing running span tasks: a low-effort strategy in which items are passively held until the list ends, when retrieval into a capacity-limited store takes place; and a higher-effort strategy in which working memory is continually updated using rehearsal processes during the list presentation. In two experiments, we examine the roles of these two strategies and the consequences of two types of interference.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2005

An anonymous survey of provincial, rural and remote obstetricians' long-term practice intentions; implications for the provision of specialist obstetric services outside metropolitan areas in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Objective data and anecdotal reports suggest that non-metropolitan Australia may face a severe shortage of specialist obstetricians in the near future. AIMS: To assess the workload and practice intentions of specialist obstetricians working in provincial, rural and remote areas of Australia. METHODS: 1. A structured questionnaire posted to Fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) who undertake part or all of their work in provincial, rural or remote areas of Australia. 2. A telephone survey of all non-metropolitan hospitals in Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic data (e.g. age, sex); length of time working in the area; practice characteristics; professional supports; workload; intentions for future practice; factors that might improve practice satisfaction. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of Australia's births occur in non-metropolitan hospitals, of which 57% do not currently have specialist obstetric cover. Survey response rate of 73%. The rural workforce is older than the metropolitan demographic, and almost half of respondents intended to cease obstetric practice within 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: These data may presage a major public health crisis for rural Australia.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗