The role of memory representation in the vigilance decrement

Caggiano, Daniel M.; Parasuraman, Raja · 2004 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3758/bf03196724

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Summary

This study investigates the specific role of working memory (WM) representation in the vigilance decrement, a phenomenon where detection sensitivity declines over time during sustained attention tasks. While previous research established that WM load affects overall vigilance performance, it remained unclear whether the modality of memory representation (spatial vs. nonspatial) specifically influences the rate of sensitivity decline. The authors hypothesized that loading the spatial memory buffer during a spatial vigilance task would exacerbate the decrement compared to loading a nonspatial buffer, supporting a multiple-resource theory where distinct memory resources are differentially susceptible to depletion. To test this, Caggiano and Parasuraman employed a dual-task procedure with 12 young adult participants. Participants performed a spatial vigilance task requiring them to detect rare targets (a black oval at a specific eccentricity) while concurrently performing a two-back WM task. The WM task involved either spatial memory (comparing the location of a wrench stimulus) or nonspatial memory (comparing the color of the wrench). Each condition lasted 20 minutes, divided into three blocks. Sensitivity was measured using signal detection theory metrics, specifically p(a), to isolate perceptual sensitivity from decision criteria. Subjective workload was assessed using the NASA Task Load Index. The results demonstrated that vigilance sensitivity declined significantly over time only when the concurrent WM task involved spatial representation. In the spatial WM condition, sensitivity decreased progressively across the three blocks. In contrast, when participants performed the nonspatial (color) WM task, vigilance sensitivity remained stable throughout the 20-minute session. Initial sensitivity levels were equivalent between conditions, ruling out baseline differences. Although the nonspatial WM task was objectively more difficult and subjectively rated as having higher mental workload, it did not induce a vigilance decrement. Eye movement analysis in a subset of participants confirmed that increased saccades did not account for the spatial condition’s performance decline. These findings provide the first evidence that memory representation modality plays a specific role in vigilance decrement. The results challenge nonspecific resource theories, which would predict that any high-load task causes similar decrements. Instead, the data support a multiple-resource model where spatial memory resources are specifically taxed by spatial vigilance demands, leading to depletion over time. The study suggests that vigilance decrement arises from the sustained demand on specific memory representation stores required for target discrimination, rather than general cognitive control fatigue alone. This distinction has implications for understanding the neural mechanisms of sustained attention and designing tasks that minimize performance deterioration in high-stakes monitoring environments.

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Topics

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• sustained attention vigilance
• vigilance
• signal detection theory