A study from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that working memory can rapidly reorganise itself after unexpected distractions. In experiments involving 50 adults playing a modified version of the game Snake, participants memorised the locations of multiple targets before being interrupted by sudden new targets. After the distraction changed their position, they shifted their focus to the remembered target that was now most relevant and closest to them. Researchers found that this flexible reprioritisation helped participants continue their original task, although the ability became more limited when memory demands were higher. The findings offer new insights into how the brain manages distractions and updates priorities.
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