Executive control of stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention in visual working memory

Abstract

We examined the role of executive control in stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention in visual working memory using probed recall of a series of objects, a task that allows study of the dynamics of storage through analysis of serial position data. Experiment 1 examined whether executive control underlies goal-directed prioritization of certain items within the sequence. Instructing participants to prioritize either the first or final item resulted in improved recall for these items, and an increase in concurrent task difficulty reduced or abolished these gains, consistent with their dependence on executive control. Experiment 2 examined whether executive control is also involved in the disruption caused by a post-series visual distractor (suffix). A demanding concurrent task disrupted memory for all items except the most recent, whereas a suffix disrupted only the most recent items. There was no interaction when concurrent load and suffix were combined, suggesting that deploying selective attention to ignore the distractor did not draw upon executive resources. A final experiment replicated the independent interfering effects of suffix and concurrent load while ruling out possible artifacts. We discuss the results in terms of a domain-general episodic buffer in which information is retained in a transient, limited capacity privileged state, influenced by both stimulus-driven and goal-directed processes. The privileged state contains the most recent environmental input together with goal-relevant representations being actively maintained using executive resources.

The limits of visual working memory in children: Exploring prioritization and recency effects with sequential presentation.

“…In adults, increases in accuracy for the priority item are accompanied by declines in performance at non-prioritized positions, relative to a baseline condition (Hu et al, 2014(Hu et al, , 2016. In the present study, despite the possible drop in performance at position 2, we did not see a boost in performance for the final item.…”

“…Not only is this recency effect present in children but also, like in adults, it does not relate to executive attention. This finding therefore extends evidence from dual-task methods in adults Hu et al, 2016) to an individual differences approach with children.…”

“…Rather, we have strong evidence for the lack of a difference. This runs counter to the consistently observed priority boost that has been observed at the first sequence position in young adults on an essentially identical WM task (Hu et al, 2014(Hu et al, , 2016, and suggests children are unable to engage in effortful, goal-directed attention to prioritize items.…”

“…by subsequent items, with the most recently encountered item automatically remaining in this state at least for a brief period Hu et al, 2014Hu et al, , 2016.…”

“…Adults can prioritize the final item in sequential visual WM tasks, with the resulting boost to performance further improving the already accurate recall of this recency position (Hu et al, 2016). Here we used a procedure identical to Experiment 2 to ask whether children are able to prioritize the final item in a sequence.…”