Space-based and feature-based attentional selection in perception and working memory

McCants, Cody W. · 2019 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.18743/pub.00040383

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Summary

This doctoral thesis by Cody Walker McCants addresses the underexplored comparison between spatial and feature-based attentional selection. While both mechanisms allow for the prioritization of goal-relevant information, they have rarely been directly contrasted, particularly regarding their underlying neural mechanisms. The research aims to clarify whether these processes are qualitatively distinct or share commonalities in both perceptual processing and working memory maintenance. The study utilizes event-related potential (ERP) components from electroencephalography (EEG) to measure real-time neural activity, specifically employing the N2pc component to assess lateralized attentional selection in perceptual tasks and the Contralateral Delay Activity (CDA) to measure active maintenance in working memory tasks. The investigation comprises three primary lines of enquiry across eight experiments. First, the thesis compares ERP correlates for attentional selection to targets defined by spatial locations versus features, revealing that spatial and featural attention are processed similarly in many contexts, with notable exceptions. Second, it examines how spatial configural information influences feature-based selection, finding that such spatial configurations can guide attentional selection for specific feature dimensions when critical for goal-directed search. Third, the study contrasts how spatial and feature-based attention influence visual perceptual and post-perceptual working memory processes. This included analyzing the speed of attentional guidance and the capacity limitations of working memory for both types of attention. Key findings indicate that spatial attentional templates guide attention more quickly than feature-based templates when there is no stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the cue and target display. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that spatial and feature-based attention share similar working memory capacity limitations. The ERP data highlights the independent nature of these attention types while also showing their qualitative similarities and interactions under specific circumstances. For instance, spatial configural information was found to modulate feature-based selection, challenging the view that these processes operate in entirely separate domains. The significance of this work lies in providing one of the first direct comparisons of the neural correlates of spatial and feature-based attention. The findings expand the current understanding of attentional mechanisms by demonstrating that perceptual and post-perceptual processes involved in spatial attention are not qualitatively different from featural attention processes as previously argued. Instead, the thesis suggests a more integrated model where these mechanisms share fundamental properties, such as capacity limits and processing similarities, while maintaining distinct operational characteristics, such as the speed of guidance. This contributes to a more nuanced theoretical framework for visual attention and working memory.

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• attention selective divided