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Working Memory Prioritization Effects on Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Sensory and Motor Processing Using EEG

Poster Session C - Sunday, March 8, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Allison N. Marino¹, Akina Umemoto¹, Timothy J. Ricker², Joshua Sandry¹; ¹Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, ²Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota

When certain list positions are prioritized by associating them with high reward, individuals can maintain those rewarded positions in a heightened state of accessibility. This finding is termed the prioritization effect. Within working memory, this effect typically results in faster response times or improved accuracy for prioritized items. The processes underlying the prioritization effect are not fully understood but some evidence suggests that there is enhanced sensory processing, motor processing, or both contributing to performance benefits of prioritized stimuli. In Experiment 1 (n=135) we used a reward-based probe-recognition paradigm and ruled out an alternative hypothesis that pop-out effects drive the effect in the present paradigm while replicating the prioritization effect. To test the neurophysiological mechanisms of the prioritization effect, Experiment 2 was conducted (n=29, with ongoing data collection). Participants completed the same task while their brain waves were recorded to measure event-related potentials (ERPs) that are sensitive to early sensory (P1 and N1) and later motor (Lateralized Readiness Potential; LRP) processing. We hypothesize that (1) When viewing a prioritized high reward (25 points) item, sensory-evoked activity will be greater compared to when viewing a non-prioritized low reward (3 points) item and (2) When a prioritized high reward item is shown and tested, response preparation will be enhanced compared to when a non-prioritized low reward item is shown and tested. Results will contribute to the understanding of the physiological processes linked with reward-based prioritization and whether performance benefits are the result of enhanced sensory processing, motor response preparation, or both.

Topic Area: PERCEPTION & ACTION: Other