The interplay of visual short-term memory, attention, and consciousness: A PRISMA systematic review of behavioral and neuroimaging studies with partial report and change detection

Selective attention, visual short-term memory (VSTM), and visual consciousness are longstanding core domains in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Recent findings using partial report and change detection paradigms suggest that VSTM involves multiple stages, each engaging distinct attentional processes. Crucially, the interplay between selective attention and VSTM lies at the heart of prominent theories of visual consciousness, such as the Recurrent Processing Theory (RPT) and the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT), and underpins the distinction between phenomenal, linked to sensory memory, and access consciousness, linked to working memory. However, research in these domains has often progressed independently, lacking an integrated perspective. To advance understanding of their interactions, we conducted a PRISMA systematic review of behavioral and neuroimaging studies across Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. A total of 42 studies were included. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified version of the AXIS tool. Results indicate that selective attention is necessary for information to reach visual working memory. In earlier sensory memory stages, attentional manipulations impair performance under dual-task and spatial attention conditions but enhance it through feature-based prioritization. Neuroimaging findings support the involvement of temporal signatures associated with attentional modulation, phenomenal and access consciousness, and post-perceptual processes. Finally, results highlight a lack of empirical research directly addressing the role of attention in the encoding of sensory memory. Building on current evidence and drawing on the RPT and GNWT frameworks, we propose a four-stage model integrating VSTM stages, selective attention, and visual consciousness, laying the groundwork for future empirical and theoretical developments.