FLEXIBILITY IN WORKING MEMORY GUIDANCE OF ATTENTION

• Main Author: Carlisle, Nancy Beth
• Other Authors: Geoffrey F. Woodman
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: VANDERBILT 2011
• Subjects: Psychology
• Online Access: http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-07172011-235349/

Recent work on the control of attention has focused on automatic influences of working memory representations on the guidance of attention. In this work, I present three studies questioning the auotmaticity of working memory guidance of attention. <p> In the first study, I examine whether goals determine the neural selection of memory-matching perceptual inputs. In the second study, I measure neural signals of the attentional enhancement and suppression of task-irrelevant memory-matches. In the final study, I use a measure of overt attention to determine if goals will create a prioritization for control among items maintained in working memory. Taken together, the results of these three studies suggest that working memory representations are used flexibly by the attentional system, in a manner consistent with the current task goals.