Big thanks to @henryjones.bsky.social for his help with the simulation analysis! And of course thanks to all other co-authors Vicky Voet, Ed Awh, @cstrauch.bsky.social @stigchel.bsky.social.

Also thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable input.

Highlighting a supplementary analysis we added: Prior work showed that cross-decoding asymmetries can sometimes be driven by SNR differences between conditions instead of 'true' neurocognitive effects. We simulated EEG data and showed that SNR is unlikely to account for our cross-decoding results.

Thanks Sebastiaan!!

Thanks to everyone that contributed to project @henryjones.bsky.social, Stefan Van der Stigchel and Ed Awh. Also a special thanks to @dsuplica.bsky.social for helping out with the data from Exp. 3!

In all experiments, we found a consistent pattern: pupil size tracked attentional breadth and WM load independently. This converges with recent EEG decoding work demonstrating a dissociation between spatial attention and working memory gating.

We analyzed pupil size - which reflects both spatial attention and WM load - data from three experiments wherein attentional breadth and working memory load were manipulated independently. For example, using dot cloud stimuli the spatial extent of stimuli were orthogonal to the number of clouds.