Memory-based attention capture when multiple items are maintained in visual working memory.

Abstract

Efficient visual search requires that attention is guided strategically to relevant objects, and most theories of visual search implement this function by means of a target template maintained in visual working memory (VWM). However, there is currently debate over the architecture of VWM-based attentional guidance. We contrasted a single-item-template hypothesis with a multiple-item-template hypothesis, which differ in their claims about structural limits on the interaction between VWM representations and perceptual selection. Recent evidence from van Moorselaar, Theeuwes, and Olivers (2014) indicated that memory-based capture during search—an index of VWM guidance—is not observed when memory set size is increased beyond a single item, suggesting that multiple items in VWM do not guide attention. In the present study, we maximized the overlap between multiple colors held in VWM and the colors of distractors in a search array. Reliable capture was observed when two colors were held in VWM and both colors were present as distractors, using both the original van Moorselaar et al. singleton-shape search task and a search task that required focal attention to array elements (gap location in outline square stimuli). In the latter task, memory-based capture was consistent with the simultaneous guidance of attention by multiple VWM representations.

Competition in saccade target selection reveals attentional guidance by simultaneously active working memory representations.

“…In a related method using a static search target, attention was captured by a memory-matching distractor when a single color was held in VWM but not when multiple colors were held in VWM (van Moorselaar, Theeuwes, & Olivers, 2014), again indicating a limit on the number of items interacting with selection. However, Hollingworth and Beck (2016) found reliable memory-based capture when more than one item was maintained in VWM, and capture magnitude scaled with the number of matching distractors in the display, consistent with the MIT.…”

Two visual working memory representations simultaneously control attention

“…As a result, the combined memory-driven capture effect for M1 and M2 should be significantly larger than the Cued object. The Experiment 5 aimed to examine whether the combined memory-driven capture effect for M1 and M2 is larger than the Cued object by presenting two distractors matching two memory items in visual search 27 . RTs shorter than 200 ms and no response trials were excluded (0.89% of trials).…”

Can you have multiple attentional templates? Large-scale replications of Van Moorselaar, Theeuwes and Olivers (2014) and Hollingworth and Beck (2016)

“…Because previous studies on memory-driven capture have produced mixed findings, and were generally based on small samples, we feel that it is important to establish whether memorydriven capture can indeed occur with a memory load of two items (as claimed by Hollingworth & Beck, 2016) or only with a memory load of one item (as claimed by Van Moorselaar et al, 2014). We replicated Van Moorselaar and colleagues' (2014) first (singleton-shape task) experiment using the original procedure.…”

“…Recently, Hollingworth and Beck (2016) tested the homogenous-state account by means of a paradigm that combined a memory task with a visual-search task, similar (but not identical) to the paradigm used by Van Moorselaar et al (2014). Participants had to keep either one or two colors in VWM, after which a visual-search task ensued; participants had to indicate the REPLICATION MANUSCRIPT 6 orientation of a target among seven other distractors.…”

“…To foresee the results, the memory-capture effect was observed at memory load 1, but not at memory load two, as reported by Van Mooreselaar et al (2014). The replication of Hollingworth and Beck's (2016) gap-location task used their original procedure, save one modification: we only tested a memory REPLICATION MANUSCRIPT 7 load of 2 items. To foresee the results, we replicated the memory-driven-capture effect at load 2 with both one and two distractors matching the color of the VWM items (i.e., partial and full capture).…”