Identifier

etd-04122010-081149

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Attention plays an important role in the formation of accurate feature bindings. However, the role of attention in maintaining feature bindings is not as well established. Some research supports the theory that attention is needed to maintain feature bindings in visual working memory (VWM), while other research suggests that bindings remain intact after the withdrawal of attention. Experiment 1 of current study tested this hypothesis by replicating the findings that feature bindings are more difficult to remember than individual features in a whole report change detection task. Experiment 2 directly measured attention through eye tracking and manipulated whether a change occurred to an object within the focus of attention, a previously attended object, or an unattended object. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that attention is not required to maintain feature bindings. Together, the results of the current study suggest that while feature bindings may be more difficult to remember than individual features in some instances, attention is not required to maintain feature bindings in VWM.

Date

2010

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Beck, Melissa

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4247

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS