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How visual working memory contents influence priming of visual attention
Nancy B Carlisle1, Árni Kristjánsson2
1Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA.
Psychological Research
|April 14, 2017
Summary
Holding distractors in visual working memory inhibits intertrial priming in pop-out search tasks. This suggests separate mechanisms for target and distractor effects, interacting with implicit short-term memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Attention
Background:
- Intertrial priming in visual search tasks is influenced by visual working memory contents.
- Previous research suggests holding distractors in visual working memory specifically disrupts priming in non-pop-out tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the inhibition of intertrial priming in pop-out search tasks depends on feature overlap with targets or distractors in visual working memory.
- To clarify the interaction between implicit short-term memory and explicit visual working memory in attentional processes.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a pop-out visual search task.
- Visual working memory load was manipulated by including targets and distractors.
- Intertrial priming effects were measured under different working memory conditions.
Main Results:
- Inhibition of intertrial priming was specifically caused by holding distractors in visual working memory.
- These findings indicate separate mechanisms for target and distractor effects on priming.
- The results support an interaction between implicit short-term memory and explicit visual working memory.
Conclusions:
- Holding distractors in visual working memory disrupts intertrial priming in pop-out search.
- Implicit short-term memory and explicit visual working memory interact when providing conflicting attentional signals.