Prioritization and color effects on attentional flexibility in working memory
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Joshua Sandry
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
The focus of attention (FoA) is a limited resource within working memory (WM) that holds one piece of information in a highly accessible state. Recent evidence suggests the FoA can flexibly adjust to hold early, middle, or terminal memory representations in a highly active state with adequate motivation. This flexibility comes at a cost to recalling other items, supporting a resource trade-off model. When a high-reward item is present, the FoA can be redirected to flexibly adjust and select prioritized items, leading to improved performance. This has been termed the prioritization effect. This finding has been demonstrated across prior investigations that have consistently used the color red to indicate the high-reward stimulus. Research on color effects and selective attention have suggested that red may have an attentional advantage, which could be influencing memory performance through better encoding. The current study aims to test the effect of color on the prioritization effect by using a probe-recognition task and alternating the color of the to-be-prioritized item, thus attempting to rule out any possible color confounds. Four colors (red, green, blue, magenta) were used, and the color assigned to a higher point-value was randomized between subjects. Our results showed that response times between different prioritized colors were not significantly different. Regardless of color used, we found a resource trade-off between high and low reward items. This supports prior research for a flexible FoA and adds validity of the probe-recognition paradigm and robust nature of the prioritization effect.
Prioritization and color effects on attentional flexibility in working memory
The focus of attention (FoA) is a limited resource within working memory (WM) that holds one piece of information in a highly accessible state. Recent evidence suggests the FoA can flexibly adjust to hold early, middle, or terminal memory representations in a highly active state with adequate motivation. This flexibility comes at a cost to recalling other items, supporting a resource trade-off model. When a high-reward item is present, the FoA can be redirected to flexibly adjust and select prioritized items, leading to improved performance. This has been termed the prioritization effect. This finding has been demonstrated across prior investigations that have consistently used the color red to indicate the high-reward stimulus. Research on color effects and selective attention have suggested that red may have an attentional advantage, which could be influencing memory performance through better encoding. The current study aims to test the effect of color on the prioritization effect by using a probe-recognition task and alternating the color of the to-be-prioritized item, thus attempting to rule out any possible color confounds. Four colors (red, green, blue, magenta) were used, and the color assigned to a higher point-value was randomized between subjects. Our results showed that response times between different prioritized colors were not significantly different. Regardless of color used, we found a resource trade-off between high and low reward items. This supports prior research for a flexible FoA and adds validity of the probe-recognition paradigm and robust nature of the prioritization effect.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.