The Beneficial Effect of Target Detection and Response on Memory of Concurrent Information

Abstract

Multitasking often leads to interference, but detecting and responding to targets in a continuous task surprisingly improves memory for concurrently presented images. What produces this attentional boost? Previous research links it to a transient temporal orienting response initiated by target detection, likely accompanied by increased activation of neurons in the Locus Coeruleus. However, past studies have often confounded target detection with response. Across three studies in this dissertation, I investigated the specific aspects of target processing that contribute to this phenomenon. Study 1 challenged the prevailing view, revealing that, contrary to popular belief, the necessity to respond to a relevant event, rather than just detecting a perceptual target, enhances the memory of concurrent information. Study 2 delved deeper, demonstrating that both the detection of a perceptual target and the need to respond to a relevant event play roles in the attentional boost. Study 3 added nuance, indicating that perceptual and response decisions do not operate in an all-or-none manner; instead, the complexity of these decisions also modulates the magnitude of the effect. These findings collectively challenge the adequacy of a single-locus theory in explaining the attentional boost, emphasizing that successful target detection alone does not fully account for the phenomenon. In conclusion, this dissertation not only advances theories regarding the attentional boost effect but also highlights the importance of perceptual and response goals, operating much like a pacemaker, in enhancing attention and memory. It provides insights into how individuals attend to behaviorally relevant moments, such as traffic lights changing color, during continuous tasks like driving.