Encoding history enhances working memory encoding: Evidence from attribute amnesia.

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that selection history influences the allocation of attention. However, it is unclear how working memory (WM), which is tightly connected to attention, is influenced by selection history. The aim of present study was to investigate the influence of encoding history on WM encoding. By incorporating task switching into an attribute amnesia task, participants' encoding history for stimulus attributes was manipulated and its corresponding influence on WM performance was tested. The results revealed that encoding an attribute in one situation can enhance the working memory encoding process for this same attribute in a different situation. Subsequent experiments revealed that this facilitation in WM encoding cannot be explained by increased attentional demand to the probed feature caused by the need to task switch. In addition, verbal instruction does not have a crucial influence on memory performance, which is mainly driven by prior experience in the task. Collectively, our findings lend unique insights into how selection history influences the encoding of information into WM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).