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Sustained Attention Is More Closely Related to Long-term Memory than to Attentional Control
Chong Zhao1, Anna Corriveau1, Jin Ke1,2
1University of Chicago.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|February 18, 2026
Summary
Individual differences in sustained attention are distinct from attention control and working memory. Sustained attention ability more closely predicts long-term memory (LTM) performance than working memory capacity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Individual differences in sustained attention are well-documented.
- The relationship between sustained attention, attentional control, working memory, and long-term memory (LTM) requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether individual differences in sustained attention are more closely linked to attentional control and working memory or to LTM.
- To explore the neural underpinnings of sustained attention in relation to these cognitive functions.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Online study (n=136) assessing sustained attention, attention control/working memory, and LTM using various tasks.
- Factor analysis to identify distinct cognitive factors.
- Experiment 2: fMRI study (n=20) analyzing functional connectivity during a sustained attention task.
Main Results:
- Factor analysis revealed sustained attention as a distinct factor.
- Individual differences in sustained attention robustly predicted LTM, and to a lesser extent, attention control and working memory.
- A connectome-based model of sustained attention predicted LTM performance but not attention control/working memory performance.
Conclusions:
- Sustained attention, while correlated with attention control and working memory, is more fundamentally related to LTM.
- Neural signatures of sustained attention are more predictive of LTM than working memory capabilities.
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