Multiple high-reward items can be prioritized in working memory but with greater vulnerability to interference

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Working memory and attention are crucial for information retention.
• The precise interaction between attention and working memory, especially concerning reward, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if participants can prioritize high-reward items in a working memory task.
• To determine how this prioritization affects recall performance and susceptibility to interference.

Main Methods:

• Four experiments using a cued recall task with a four-item target array.
• Manipulation of reward value associated with target items.
• Inclusion of a post-display to-be-ignored suffix to assess interference.

Main Results:

• Endogenous attention to high-reward items improved their recall.
• Recall performance for prioritized items remained stable when increasing their number from one to three.
• Recall performance showed graded levels corresponding to item reward values.
• Prioritizing high-reward items increased susceptibility to suffix interference compared to low-reward items.

Conclusions:

• Individuals can exert voluntary control to prioritize multiple targets in working memory based on reward.
• Endogenously driven attention enhances recall of prioritized items but increases vulnerability to external interference.
• Different attentional direction methods may yield varied working memory outcomes.