A: Hypothetical models illustrating the activation patterns of two memory items during the memory retention phase. Hypothesis 1 posits a single template, Hypothesis 2 suggests multiple templates, and Hypothesis 3 proposes dynamic templates. B: Behavioral results, showing the attentional capture effect size (calculated as the difference in response time between the distractor matching the memory items and the target matching the memory items) and memory accuracy for the two memory items. C: Experimental procedure. A cue stimulus randomly indicated one of the two memory items. In 80% of the trials, participants performed a search task to identify the item with a gap facing upward or downward. In 20% of the trials, participants performed a recall task to determine whether the probed item matched one of the two memory colors.

A: Line graph. The attentional capture effect size for the cued and uncued items across different time intervals (SOA), calculated as the difference in response time between the invalid and valid conditions. B: Spectrum plot. The red line represents the amplitude of the values from A at different frequencies; the gray line indicates the 95th percentile from the permutation test; *: p < 0.05. C: Phase-locking value (PLV). The red line shows the PLV values at 7 Hz for the cued and uncued items, representing the average phase difference across all participants; gray circles indicate the 0-95 percentile range from the permutation test; blue hollow circles represent the phase differences for individual participants between the two items.

A: Experimental procedure. Two memory items are presented simultaneously without any post-cue prompts. In 80% of the trials, participants performed a search task to identify the item with a gap facing upward or downward. In 20% of the trials, participants performed a recall task to determine whether the probed item matched one of the two memory colors. B: Behavioral results, showing the attentional capture effect size and memory accuracy for the two memory items.

The blue line represents the average across all participants of the Fourier transforms of the differences in capture effects between left and right memory items for individual participants; The red line represents the group average of medians from 1000 permutations with Fourier transforms per participant; *: p < 0.05.

A: Behavioral results, showing the attentional capture effect size and memory accuracy for the two memory items. B: Experimental procedure. A cue stimulus randomly indicated one of the two memory items. In 80% of the trials, participants performed a search task to identify the item with a gap facing upward or downward. In 20% of the trials, participants performed a recall task to determine whether the probed item matched one of the two memory colors.

A: Time-frequency results of the contralateral occipital lobe (PO7/8) for cued items, showing significant alpha band activation (8-14 Hz) during the memory retention phase. B: Time-frequency results of the contralateral occipital electrodes (PO7/8) for uncued items, with a similar activation pattern to that observed for cued items.

The attentional capture effect size of cued items was positively correlated with the mean amplitude of the alpha band activity during the last 200 ms of the memory retention phase, which occurs 200 ms before the onset of the search target.

Time-frequency results, showing the difference in contralateral electrode activity (PO7/PO8) for same-color and same-location items under cued and uncued conditions.

A: Topographical maps. Cross-frequency coupling between the alpha phase at the white electrode points and the theta phase at other electrode points (the left two maps), and the theta phase at the white electrode points and the alpha phase at other electrode points (the right map). B: Functional connectivity map. Cross-frequency coupling between the alpha phase at the contralateral electrodes (PO7/PO8) of the two memory items and the theta phase at the frontal electrode (Pz).

A: Spectrum results. Power spectrum of the difference in contralateral alpha power between the two memory items during the retention phase across 0-50 Hz. B: Spectrum results. Power spectrum of the difference in cross-frequency coupling (wPLI) between the alpha phase at contralateral electrodes (PO7/PO8) and the theta phase at the frontal electrode (Fz) across 0-50 Hz during the retention phase. The gray shaded area represents the 0-95th percentile range from the permutation test; *: p < 0.05.