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Fluctuations of Attention and Working Memory
Kirsten C S Adam1,2, Megan T deBettencourt3,4
1Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, US.
Journal of Cognition
|August 24, 2019
Summary
Attention and working memory fluctuate together, impacting cognitive performance. While linked, these cognitive functions are distinct, showing synchronous but not synonymous trial-to-trial changes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Attention and working memory are closely linked cognitive functions.
- Existing research, like Oberauer's review, explores their relationship, particularly attention's role in working memory maintenance.
- Ambiguities remain in fully characterizing this intricate relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the relationship between attention and working memory on a broader time scale through trial-to-trial fluctuations.
- To present evidence and implications of these fluctuations.
- To argue for a synchronous but not synonymous relationship.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral evidence from interleaved sustained attention and working memory tasks.
- Neural evidence, including pre-trial predictors of working memory success.
Main Results:
- A strong behavioral and neural link exists between trial-to-trial fluctuations in attention and working memory.
- These fluctuations demonstrate synchronous changes between the two functions.
- Despite synchrony, attention and working memory fluctuations are also distinct.
Conclusions:
- Attention and working memory exhibit synchronous trial-to-trial fluctuations.
- These fluctuations are not synonymous, indicating distinct underlying processes.
- Understanding these dynamic relationships is crucial for characterizing attention and working memory interactions.
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