Are Individual Differences in Attention Control Related to Working Memory Capacity? A Latent Variable Mega-Analysis

T The current study examined whether there are coherent individual differences in attention control abilities and whether they are related to variation in working memory capacity. Data were pooled from multiple studies over 12 years of data collection. Mega-analyses on the combined data set suggested that most of the attention control measures had adequate reliabilities and were weakly to moderately related to one another. A number of latent variable mega-analyses suggested that the attention control measures loaded onto a broad attention control factor and this factor was consistently related to working memory capacity. Furthermore, working memory capacity was generally related to each individual attention control measure. These results provide important evidence for the notion that there is a coherent attention control factor and this factor is related to working memory capacity consistent with much prior research.

Automated summary

This study explored the coherent individual differences in attention control abilities and their relationship to working memory capacity. Results from mega-analyses showed that attention control measures loaded onto a broad attention control factor, which was consistently related to working memory capacity. Working memory capacity was generally associated with each individual attention control measure, providing important evidence for the coherent attention control factor related to working memory capacity in line with previous research.