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Forgetting from lapses of sustained attention
Megan T deBettencourt1,2,3, Kenneth A Norman4,5, Nicholas B Turk-Browne4,5
1Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. debetten@uchicago.edu.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|June 7, 2017
Summary
Sustained attention, which naturally fluctuates, significantly impacts memory encoding. Monitoring attention states can influence what information is remembered, highlighting adaptive experimental design benefits.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Memory
Background:
- Attention is not constant; it fluctuates during prolonged tasks.
- These attention fluctuations impact immediate performance and long-term memory.
- Understanding attention's role in memory is crucial for cognitive research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between fluctuating attentional states and memory encoding.
- To determine if sustained attention predicts subsequent memory.
- To establish a causal link between attention states and memory formation.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1 used a response time index to measure sustained attention.
- Subsequent memory was assessed based on attentional states prior to stimulus presentation.
- Experiment 2 manipulated attentional states to causally link them to memory outcomes.
Main Results:
- Sustained attention, indexed by response times, predicted subsequent memory performance.
- Memory encoding was enhanced when stimuli were presented during periods of high sustained attention.
- Causal manipulation confirmed that attentional states directly influence memory consolidation.
Conclusions:
- Fluctuations in sustained attention have demonstrable downstream effects on memory.
- Adaptive experimental designs that monitor attention can optimize memory encoding.
- Continuous attention monitoring offers a method to influence future recall.
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