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Abstract:
Abstract: Several studies have shown that visual stimuli can
be perceived more rapidly than they can be stored in working
memory. Consequently, attentional mechanisms are needed to control
which of the many perceived objects will be selected for storage in
visual working memory. In the present experiment, we examined this
selective storage mechanism by presenting subjects with an array of
10 colored squares, 5 in each hemifield. A central arrow signaled
which hemifield was most likely to be tested, and this cue was
presented either before, during, or after the presentation of the
memory array. Performance was much higher when memory for the cued
hemifield was tested than when the uncued hemifield was tested,
even when the cue was presented shortly after the memory array. In
a second experiment, the memory demands of the task were decreased
and the perceptual demands were increased; under these conditions,
the cue influenced performance only when it preceded the target.
These results indicate that spatial attention can influence both
the perception of objects and the transfer of perceived objects
into working memory, but the temporal dynamics of these processes
differ.
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