The allocation of resources in visual working memory and multiple attentional templates

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Visual search relies on matching sensory input to a target representation in visual working memory (VWM), known as an attentional template.
• Understanding the conditions that permit multiple attentional templates is crucial for comprehending VWM capacity and attentional control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the conditions under which more than one attentional template can be maintained in VWM.
• To determine if dual-target search allows for multiple attentional templates and if VWM resource allocation impacts this.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the contingent attentional capture paradigm to measure attentional templates for color targets.
• Compared attentional template formation in single-target versus dual-target search scenarios.
• Assessed the precision of recall for target and distractor colors to infer VWM resource allocation.

Main Results:

• Attentional templates did not differ between single and dual target search, suggesting dual search supports multiple templates.
• An attentional template was formed for the target but not the distractor color when memorized with unequal precision.
• Distractor color recall precision was consistently worse than target recall, indicating biased VWM resource allocation.

Conclusions:

• Multiple attentional templates can be established in VWM, particularly in dual-target search where resources are equally allocated.
• Unequal VWM resource allocation, driven by task demands prioritizing one item, prevents the simultaneous operation of multiple attentional templates.
• The ability to form multiple attentional templates is contingent upon equitable VWM resource distribution.