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Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research 6/2015

03-12-2014 | Original Article

Working-memory performance is related to spatial breadth of attention

Auteurs: Carina Kreitz, Philip Furley, Daniel Memmert, Daniel J. Simons

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 6/2015

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Abstract

Working memory and attention are closely related constructs. Models of working memory often incorporate an attention component, and some even equate working memory and attentional control. Although some attention-related processes, including inhibitory control of response conflict and interference resolution, are strongly associated with working memory, for other aspects of attention the link is less clear. We examined the association between working-memory performance and attentional breadth, the ability to spread attention spatially. If the link between attention and working memory is broader than inhibitory and interference resolution processes, then working-memory performance might also be associated with other attentional abilities, including attentional breadth. We tested 123 participants on a variety of working-memory and attentional-breadth measures, finding a strong correlation between performances on these two types of tasks. This finding demonstrates that the link between working memory and attention extends beyond inhibitory processes.
Voetnoten
1
A confirmatory factor analysis based on maximum likelihood estimates found a good fit for a two-factor model and a less good fit for a one-factor model. The two factors, working memory and attentional breadth, were correlated 0.63 in the two-factor solution. More detail concerning the factor analysis and the raw data for all five cognitive tests are available at https://​osf.​io/​2hk4c/​.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
Working-memory performance is related to spatial breadth of attention
Auteurs
Carina Kreitz
Philip Furley
Daniel Memmert
Daniel J. Simons
Publicatiedatum
03-12-2014
Uitgeverij
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Gepubliceerd in
Psychological Research / Uitgave 6/2015
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-014-0633-x

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