Feature-based inhibition by internal attention in visual working memory

Recent studies suggest that attended task-irrelevant features can be actively inhibited during the encoding phase of visual working memory. However, it remains unclear whether a similar filtering mechanism for task-irrelevant information operates during the maintenance phase of visual working memory and whether this mechanism requires the involvement of internal attention. In this study, we combined retro cues with two paradigms designed to measure the memory traces of task-irrelevant features to address this question. Across three experiments, we found that directing internal attention to the object representation in visual working memory leads to weaker memory traces of task-irrelevant features compared with baseline conditions. This effect takes longer to emerge compared with the classic retro-cue effect. The results suggest that internal and external attention may play similar roles in filtering task-irrelevant information, further challenging the traditional view that attention determines working memory and highlights a potential dissociation between attention and working memory in the mechanism of information selection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).