Do cognitive load and ADHD traits affect the tendency to prioritise social information in scenes?

Martinez-Cedillo, Astrid Priscilla; Dent, Kevin; Foulsham, Tom · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1177/17470218211066475

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Summary

This study investigates whether working memory (WM) load and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) traits influence the tendency to prioritize social information in complex visual scenes. Motivated by the load theory of attention, which posits that high WM load disrupts top-down control and increases susceptibility to distractors, the authors sought to determine if the bias toward viewing social stimuli (e.g., people) relies on voluntary top-down resources. If social attention is top-down driven, it should be impaired under high cognitive load; if it is automatic, it should remain stable. The research comprised two experiments. Experiment 1 replicated a classic flanker task to validate the WM manipulation. Participants performed a selective attention task while holding either one digit (low load) or six digits (high load) in memory. Experiment 2 applied this manipulation to a free-viewing task. Participants viewed complex images containing a social object (a person) and a non-social object with either high or low physical salience. Eye movements were recorded to measure fixations on these regions of interest. Additionally, participants completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) to assess individual differences in ADHD-like traits. The study used verbal memory loads to avoid competing for visual perceptual resources, ensuring that any effects were due to cognitive rather than perceptual load. Experiment 1 confirmed that high WM load significantly increased interference from incompatible distractors, validating the manipulation. In Experiment 2, results showed that participants fixated on social objects more frequently than non-social objects, regardless of the latter’s physical salience. Crucially, increasing WM load did not reduce fixations on social objects. While high physical salience of the non-social object drew some fixations away from the background, it did not diminish the preference for the social item. Regarding individual differences, higher ADHD-like traits were associated with fewer fixations on social objects, but only in the high-salience, low-load condition. There was no significant interaction between WM load and ADHD traits on social viewing. The findings suggest that attending to social areas in complex stimuli is not dependent on the availability of voluntary top-down resources typically taxed by WM load. This challenges the notion that social bias in scene viewing is a goal-directed process requiring executive control. Instead, the robustness of social attention under cognitive load implies it may be an automatic or obligatory mechanism. The specific effect of ADHD traits in high-salience conditions suggests that while general social bias is resilient, individual differences in cognitive control may still modulate attention when competing bottom-up signals are strong. These results contribute to understanding the distinct mechanisms governing social versus physical attention in naturalistic environments.

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