Multiple representations in visual working memory simultaneously guide attention: The type of memory-matching representation matters

Fan, Li; Sun, Mengdan; Xu, Mengsi; Li, Zhiai; Diao, Liuting; Zhang, Xuemin

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.11.005

Cited by 15 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…However, for the directional cue trials, we found a reliable difference in the guidance effect between high-and low-noise trials (t(49) = 2.17, p = 0.035); given that these two trial types resulted in differential memory performance, with low-noise trials having higher memory strength (TCC d' = 3.16,dz = 0.78) relative to high-noise trials (TCC d' = 2.67, dz = 0.35), this indicates that the quality of the memory representation-above and beyond attention alone-is important in determining the amount of guidance. Thus, this finding contradicts strong versions of the attentional template account wherein an item's status alone determines which item guides attention (Hollingworth & Beck, 2016;Fan et al, 2019;B. Zhang et al, 2011B.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Recent work has shown that attention can be biased towards items that match the contents of working memory. Using hybrid visual working memory and visual search paradigms, several studies have shown robust guidance when a single working memory item is maintained (Olivers et al, 2006;Soto et al, 2005Soto & Humphreys, 2007 but the results are mixed when multiple working memory items are held in mind (Beck & Vickery, 2019;Chen & Du, 2017;Fan et al, 2019;Frătescu et al, 2019Hollingworth & Beck, 2016Hollingworth & Hwang, 2013;Houtkamp & Roelfsema, 2006;van Moorselaar et al, 2014;B. Zhang et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of the debate on attentional guidance is concentrated on whether a special status can be maintained by one or multiple working memory items (Chen & Du, 2017;Fan et al, 2019;Frătescu et al, 2019;Hollingworth & Beck, 2016;Olivers et al, 2011;B. Zhang et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Current Model: Representational Fidelity Determines Guidmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Critically, they maintain that the precision of the template item(s) has little to no impact on attentional guidance Frătescu et al, 2019;Rajsic, Ouslis, Wilson, & Pratt, 2017;Hollingworth & Hwang, 2013;B. Zhang, et al, 2018;Fan et al, 2019;Hollingworth & Beck, 2016;B. Zhang, et al, 2018; but see Hout & Goldinger, 2014).…”

Section: Experiments 4: Effects Of Attentional Cues and Memory Strengtmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequent studies used similarly difficult memory probes effectively increasing the item's representational fidelity, again leading to robust guidance effects (Olivers et al, 2011;van Moorselaar et al, 2014). Other studies limited the stimulus set to contain only a few distinguishable items, again effectively strengthening the representational fidelity of working memory items (Chen & Du, 2017;Fan et al, 2019;Hollingworth & Beck, 2016;B. Zhang et al, 2011).…”

Section: The Importance Of Representational Fidelitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Guidance of attention by working memory is a matter of representational fidelity

Williams¹,

Tf²,

Vs³

2019

Preprint

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Previous research shows that a single visual working memory item can guide visual attention towards objects that match the feature held in mind, but the results are mixed as to whether this attentional guidance occurs for multiple concurrently active working memory items or not. Evidence in favor of a single-item guidance account has been taken as evidence for the structure of working memory comprising multiple distinct states where one item is prioritized over all others by being placed within a special focus of attention. The present study was designed to test attentional guidance effects for single and multiple working memory items, and to test the hypothesis that there are special distinct states in working memory. To do so, we asked participants to remember one or two colors, then perform a visual search task, and then report the items held in mind. We demonstrate that a single working memory item robustly biases attention towards items that match the color maintained in working memory during visual search (Exp. 1). Although we found reliable guidance when participants remembered two items, we show that these effects can largely be explained by a single item guiding attention on a proportion of trials (Exp. 2). Next, by precisely measuring memory for individual items we show that items naturally vary in their representational fidelity, and that only the item with the strongest representation guides attention (Exp. 3). Importantly, we demonstrate that no special focus of attention is necessary to explain these single-item guidance effects but that natural variation in the fidelity between items — which arises through independent noise — can account for the effects (Exp. 4). These findings challenge current models of working memory guidance and propose a simpler account for how working memory and attention interact: through natural variation in the representational fidelity of memories, one item tends to be the dominant item guiding attention on any individual trial.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Current Model: Representational Fidelity Determines Guidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Experiments 4: Effects Of Attentional Cues and Memory Strengtmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Importance Of Representational Fidelitymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Guidance of attention by working memory is a matter of representational fidelity

Williams¹,

Tf²,

Vs³

2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Multiple representations in visual working memory can simultaneously guide attention

Fan

Diao

et al. 2022

Curr Psychol

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How retaining objects containing multiple features in visual working memory regulates the priority for access to visual awareness

Ding

Naber

Paffen

et al. 2021

Consciousness and Cognition

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Multiple representations in visual working memory simultaneously guide attention: The type of memory-matching representation matters

Cited by 15 publications

References 43 publications

Guidance of attention by working memory is a matter of representational fidelity

Guidance of attention by working memory is a matter of representational fidelity

Multiple representations in visual working memory can simultaneously guide attention

How retaining objects containing multiple features in visual working memory regulates the priority for access to visual awareness

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