Object-based attention in retaining binding in working memory: Influence of activation states of working memory.

Object-based attention in retaining binding in working memory: Influence of activation states of working memory.
Mem Cognit. 2020 May 08;:
Authors: He K, Li J, Wu F, Wan X, Gao Z, Shen M
Abstract
It has been suggested that retaining bindings in working memory (WM) requires more object-based attention than retaining constituent features. Recent studies have found that when memorized stimuli are presented sequentially, the most recent stimulus is in a highly accessible privileged state such that it is retained in a relatively automatic and resource-free manner, whereas the other stimuli are in a non-privileged state. The current study investigated whether the activation states of WM modulate the role of object-based attention in retaining bindings in WM. To address this question, we presented three colored shapes sequentially and added a transparent-motion task (Experiment 1) or a mental rotation task (Experiment 2) into the WM maintenance phase to consume object-based attention. We consistently found that consuming object-based attention led to a larger impairment to bindings relative to constituent features, which is independent of the WM activation states, suggesting that object-based attention is critical in retaining bindings in WM across activation states of WM.
PMID: 32385675 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Memory and Cognition - May 11, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Tags: Mem Cognit Source Type: research