Memory reloaded: Memory load effects in the attentional blink

Abstract

When two targets are presented in rapid succession, identification of the first is nearly perfect, while identification of the second is impaired when it follows the first by less than about 700 ms. According to bottleneck models, this attentional blink (AB) occurs because the second target is unable to gain access to capacity-limited working memory processes already occupied by the first target. Evidence for this hypothesis, however, has been mixed, with recent reports suggesting that increasing working memory load does not affect the AB. The present paper explores possible reasons for failures to find a link between memory load and the AB and shows that a reliable effect of load can be obtained when the item directly after T1 (Target 1) is omitted. This finding provides initial evidence that working memory load can influence the AB and additional evidence for a link between T1 processing time and the AB predicted by bottleneck models.

Keywords:

• Attentional blink
• Working memory
• Target 1 difficulty
• Target 1 masking
• Capacity limited

Acknowledgments

This work was sponsored by a Research Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and start-up funds from the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. The author is grateful to Jessica Jackson, Sarah Barnes, and Mike Wilkinson for assistance in data collection.