Memória operacional episódica e atenção baseada no objeto

Abstract

One of the most important models in working memory research points to multicomponents of phonological, visuospatial, and episodic storage managed by an attentional control system that maintain information available for short periods of time. Studies of cognitive processes involved in retaining and evocation of the episodic memory component have intensified in recent decades. This study investigated the dynamic of information maintenance in episodic working memory and the involvement of object-based attention in this process. Participants performed a memorization task followed by an intervening mental folding task (of higher or lower cognitive load). The results were analyzed under conditions without intermediate task and with intermediate task (two levels). This analysis suggested a significant effect of the intervening task, but it did not evidence a significant difference in performance due to the mental folding difficulty. This result suggests that episodic working memory is impaired by an object-based attention task regardless of its difficulty.