The Role of Spatial Attention in the Maintenance of Visual Working Memory: Modulatory Effect by Task-Relevance of Spatial Information and Evidence from Alpha Oscillations

The close interplay between spatial attention and visual working memory is essential for optimizing our visual experiences. The following studies investigated this interaction, focusing on how spatial attention influences visual working memory processes. In Chapter 2 a dual-task paradigm was used to examine how the relevance of spatial information to the task modulated the effects of spatial attention. The findings showed that shifting spatial attention away from a potential memory target impaired its consolidation in working memory. In Chapter 3, the experiment aimed to amplify these effects to observe clearer facilitatory and inhibitory processes. However, the results only demonstrated that spatial attention tended to linger at memory locations when location was relevant to the task. Along with behavioral evidence, the study also explored the role of alpha oscillations, a key neurophysiological marker linked to inhibitory processes in spatial attention. By manipulating attentional load through different search contexts, the study examined how alpha band activity changed under varying levels of inhibition, and whether these neural responses were modulated by individual working memory capacity. The results indicated that higher alpha power was associated with tasks requiring greater inhibition, and this elevated alpha power persisted into later phases, influencing subsequent performance. Additionally, individuals with higher working memory capacity exhibited more sustained inhibitory processes, as shown by higher alpha power in high-inhibition conditions compared to those with lower capacity. While the findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between spatial attention and working memory, and their neural mechanisms of alpha band, the study acknowledges limitations, such as weak statistical significance. Nevertheless, it opens new avenues for exploring the dynamic interplay between spatial attention and visual working memory at both behavioral and neural levels, contributing to the broad field of cognitive psychology.