Multiple states in visual working memory: Evidence from oculomotor capture by memory-matching distractors

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Visual Perception
• Human Attention

Background:

• Visual working memory (VWM) representations are known to interact with attentional guidance.
• Controversy exists regarding whether multiple VWM items can simultaneously influence attentional guidance.
• Previous studies using response times may obscure discrete attentional capture events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how VWM load affects attentional guidance.
• To characterize discrete attentional capture events using an oculomotor paradigm.
• To determine if multiple VWM items simultaneously guide attention.

Main Methods:

• Employed an oculomotor paradigm to track eye movements.
• Manipulated visual working memory load (one vs. two items).
• Presented VWM-matching and non-matching distractors simultaneously with a target disk.

Main Results:

• Oculomotor capture by VWM-matching distractors occurred more frequently than by non-matching distractors.
• Attentional capture by VWM-matching distractors was less frequent under high VWM load compared to low VWM load.
• Eye movements were biased towards distractors matching held VWM items.

Conclusions:

• Attention is automatically guided toward items matching a single VWM item.
• When holding multiple items in VWM, attentional guidance may not be constant.
• Items in VWM might cycle through attention-guiding and non-guiding states, especially under high load.