Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Accessibility of Working Memory Representations in the Focus of Attention: Heightened or Reduced?

First online date2023-10-12
Abstract

Many researchers agree that information residing in the focus of attention in working memory benefits from a boost in memory strength and activation, as well as heightened accessibility. However, recent studies have questioned this heightened ccessibility . More specifically, these recent studies found reduced accessibility for an item in the focus of attention compared to another item in working memory, which was referred to as an “inhibition-of-return-like” effect. Our study aimed to provide a detailed examination of the accessibility of information in the focus of attention. Across a series of experiments, varying task characteristics related to the time course of the effect (Experiments 2–3) and the potential role of response inhibition (Experiments 4a–4b),we repeatedly failed to find evidence for an inhibition-of-return-like effect. Instead, we mostly found heightened accessibility for an item in the focus of attention. Given that an inhibition-of-return-like effect seems to be limited to a very specific task condition, reduced accessibility of information in the focus of attention appears to be far from a general phenomenon. Therefore, based on our findings, we propose that information in the focus of attention generally benefits from heightened accessibility, although there may be factors, most likely unrelated to the functioning of the focus of attention, that could sometimes mask this and even result in data patterns that are consistent with reduced accessibility. The theoretical implications for the focus of attention and working memory are discussed.

Keywords
  • Working memory
  • Focus of attention
  • Attention
  • Inhibition of return
  • Facilitation
Citation (ISO format)
HAUTEKIET, Caro Béatrice G, LANGEROCK, Naomi, VERGAUWE, Evie. Accessibility of Working Memory Representations in the Focus of Attention: Heightened or Reduced? In: Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition, 2023. doi: 10.1037/xlm0001223
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Article (Accepted version)
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Identifiers
ISSN of the journal0278-7393
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78downloads

Technical informations

Creation11/15/2023 10:27:06 AM
First validation11/30/2023 3:34:21 PM
Update time11/30/2023 3:34:21 PM
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