Working Memory Quality of Attentional Templates

In this line of research, the researchers are examining a basic science question regarding the working memory representations underlying visual search using a positive template (looking for a target) or a negative template (avoiding a distractor).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Visual Search Cue Type

Detailed Description

When finding a search target, receiving a target cue or distractor cue can increase search efficiency. Critically, in order to use these cues to help search performance, they must be maintained in working memory. The researchers are examining whether the working memory representations are of similar quality for a target cue (positive template) or distractor cue (negative template).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 34
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, 18015
      • Lehigh University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• normal or corrected to normal visual acuity, normal color vision

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Within-subjects Cue Type; Participants receive a target color cue (positive), a distractor color cue (negative), or a neutral non-informative cue prior to visual search.	Behavioral: Visual Search Cue Type; Participants receive a target color cue (positive), a distractor color cue (negative), or a neutral non-informative cue prior to visual search.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Button Press Reaction Time	Speed to respond correctly to the target- after participant finds the target shape on a computer screen, they press a button to indicate what shape they see	Day 1 (single day of testing)
Button Press Accuracy	Accuracy of responses to target item-measure whether the participants presses the correct button which corresponds to the target shape presented on the computer screen or the incorrect button	Day 1 (single day of testing)
Working Memory Report Quality	Accuracy of computer clicks on a set of colors to indicate memory of cue presented	Day 1 (single day of testing)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Lehigh University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nancy Carlisle, PhD, Lehigh University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 27, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 17, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): November 17, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 3, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): May 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 18, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2023
• Last Verified: May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: attention; working memory; visual search
• Other Study ID Numbers: 7R15EY030247-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The researchers plan to share anonymized subject data on Open Science Framework.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Upon publication.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Open Science Framework internet access.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No