1. Spatial Attention Interacts With Serial-Order Retrieval From Verbal Working Memory.
- Author
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van Dijck, Jean-Philippe, Abrahamse, Elger L., Majerus, Steve, and Fias, Wim
- Subjects
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SHORT-term memory , *ATTENTION research , *SELECTIVITY (Psychology) , *INTEREST (Psychology) , *SERIAL ordering - Abstract
The ability to maintain the serial order of events is recognized as a major function of working memory. Although general models of working memory postulate a close link between working memory and attention, such a link has so far not been proposed specifically for serial-order working memory. The present study provided the first empirical demonstration of a direct link between serial order in verbal working memory and spatial selective attention. We show that the retrieval of later items of a sequence stored in working memory—compared with that of earlier items—produces covert attentional shifts toward the right. This observation suggests the conceptually surprising notion that serial-order working memory, even for nonspatially defined verbal items, draws on spatial attention. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
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