Coarse matching was sufficient to capture attention by working memory representations unless matching features with the target

Hu, Cenlou; Luo, Ziwen; Huang, Sai; Zhang, Bao · 2025 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02522-5

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Summary

This study investigates how perceptual similarity between working memory (WM) representations and visual stimuli influences attentional capture, specifically examining whether this process relies on coarse or fine matching mechanisms. While WM is known to bias attention toward stimuli sharing features with stored representations, it remains unclear if the degree of similarity matters when these representations are task-irrelevant versus task-relevant. The authors hypothesized that coarse matching suffices for capture in task-irrelevant scenarios, whereas task relevance might sharpen perceptual sensitivity, engaging fine-matching mechanisms. To test this, the researchers conducted two experiments using a hybrid WM and visual search task. Participants memorized a color and then performed a visual search for a target defined by gap size, while distractors varied in color similarity to the memorized item. Perceptual similarity was manipulated across three levels: exact, high-similar, and low-similar, compared against a neutral baseline. Experiment 1 represented a task-irrelevant scenario where WM items only matched distractors. Experiment 2 introduced a task-relevant scenario where WM items could potentially match either the target or a distractor. Attentional capture was quantified using eye-tracking metrics (first fixation proportions and dwell times) and manual reaction times. In Experiment 1, robust attentional capture effects were observed across all similarity levels, with no significant differences between exact, high-similar, and low-similar conditions. This indicates that in task-irrelevant contexts, even coarse feature matching is sufficient to trigger involuntary attention shifts. Conversely, Experiment 2 revealed that perceptual similarity significantly modulated capture effects. Specifically, high-similar matching produced significantly stronger attentional capture than low-similar matching, particularly in trials where the WM item matched a distractor (invalid trials). This suggests that when WM representations have the potential to correspond to the search target, the system relies on finer matching mechanisms. The findings demonstrate that the mechanism of memory-driven attentional capture is contingent on task relevance. Coarse matching is sufficient for capture when WM contents are irrelevant to the current goal, implying a broad, non-specific biasing of attention. However, when WM contents are potentially relevant to the target, perceptual similarity becomes critical, with higher similarity leading to stronger capture. This highlights distinct underlying mechanisms for attentional guidance by irrelevant WM representations versus target templates, suggesting that task relevance sharpens perceptual sensitivity and alters how memory biases visual processing.

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• attention selective divided