Electrophysiological correlates of the flexible allocation of visual working memory resources

Efficiently allocating capacity-limited cognitive resources is critical to guiding behavior effectively. Although previous research has suggested that distractors are blocked from memory access, recent work proposes a more flexible attentional filter that acts based on item priority. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of flexible attentional prioritization by manipulating the distribution of memory resources amongst items. Across three experiments, we found that the contralateral delay activity (CDA), a component typically associated with visual working memory (VWM) load, was affected by both memory load and resource allocation. This allocation occurred as early as during attentional selection, as indicated by the N2pc. Additionally, CDA amplitude was well described when fit with a continuous power law function with load and resources together, more so than when fit with either alone. Together, these findings suggest that ERP markers of attentional selection and memory maintenance track attentional prioritization in addition to VWM load.