Distinct Neural Networks Underpin Distractor Sensitivity and Task Accuracy in a Complex Working Memory Task

Abstract

It is unclear what role distractor sensitivity plays in performance on complex working memory tasks. Although several contemporary studies suggest that individual differences in working memory performance are driven by the ability to successfully resist distractors, the relation between these two processes is primarily observed when both measures are computed from performance on the same visuospatial task. The limited existing research relating distractor sensitivity to external complex span measures has provided mixed results. In the present study, we use a higher-level semantic filtering neuroimaging paradigm with a visuospatial component to explore the relation between distractor sensitivity and performance on complex working memory tasks. Results indicated that individual differences in distractor sensitivity are underpinned by a distributed network of domain-general cognitive control – including the putamen and anterior cingulate cortex – and language processing areas such as the left inferior frontal gyrus, which were non-overlapping with the more limited regions associated with complex span performance. Behavioral results showed further evidence that distractor sensitivity and performance on complex working memory tasks were not related to one another. These findings provide novel contributions to our understanding of what drives individual differences in performance on complex working memory tasks. When viewed in light of the previous findings, we propose that both “distractor sensitivity” and “working memory capacity” are multifaceted constructs whose neurocognitive underpinnings vary as a function of task demands.