The role of attention and visual processing in the retrocue effect

• Grant number: 17/23217-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: August 19, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Cesar Alexis Galera
• Grantee: Luísa Superbia Guimarães
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) stores, processes, and manipulates relevant information coming from the vision in order to execute cognitive tasks. Attention modulates the retrieval process of the information stored in the VSWM and can be directed to the perceived environment and to the representations stored within memory. Spatial retroactive cues improve participants' performance in item recognition tasks, by decreasing response time and increasing accuracy. An earlier study has shown that a concurrent visual search task executed during the retention interval shatter the beneficial effect of the retroactive cues. This research aims to evaluate if different types of concurrent tasks interfere differentially in the effectiveness of retroactive spatial cues in a recognition VSWM test. The experimental procedure will be an item recognition task, combined with the retroactive cues paradigm and concurrent tasks during the retention interval. We will use three types of concurrent tasks, each of them corresponding to a different levels of requirement for attention and visual processing: tone monitoring (only attention, no visual processing required), color discrimination (visual processing required) and visual search (both attention and visual processing required). The type of concurrent task will be manipulated between trial blocks. Possible specificities in the effect of concurrent tasks upon the benefit promoted by the cues may inform us about the functioning and/or structure of the VSWM. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

GUIMARÃES, Luísa Superbia. The role of attention and visual processing in the retroactive cue effect. 2019. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.