Title: Attention and memory lapse together
Abstract: Attention and working memory are clearly intertwined, and both processes fluctuate over time. But do attention and memory fluctuate in synchrony? I will present a novel hybrid task that interleaves a sustained attention task and a working memory task. First, I will demonstrate that this hybrid task reveals correlations between attention and memory fluctuations. Next, I will describe a procedure to monitor attention fluctuations in real time and trigger memory probes during optimal (high attention) or suboptimal (low attention) moments. I will provide evidence that participants in a low attention state store fewer items in working memory. This provides new evidence for the tight integration of attention and working memory fluctuations.