Fig. 1.

a Experimental procedure. Participants had to memorize the location of the letter e. After a 1,500-ms fixation display, a search display was presented. Participants were required to search for the target shape (the item with the two triangles pointing in the same [left or right] direction, its direction determined the response). The search display was presented for 3 s or until response. After a 1,500 ms blank, the memory probe (the letter E) appeared, and participants were required to indicate whether it was presented at the same or at a different location as the probe letter in the memory array. b Depiction of the dashed area in a; the white dots represent the 18 potential locations the memory cue e could appear in around the center of each search item in search display