SG CSD Prequalifying Exam Practice

Executive control of attention refers to the top-down processes that regulate how we allocate cognitive resources in the present moment. It includes mechanisms that limit or inhibit distractions (suppression), keep task goals and rules active in mind as we perform a task (working memory), and direct processing toward information that is relevant while filtering out what isn’t (selective attention). These are dynamic control functions that operate on the current mental workspace.

Long-term memory, on the other hand, is a store of knowledge and past experiences. It can influence what we attend to by providing priors or familiar contexts, but it is not a control process that manages attention in real time. Therefore, long-term memory is not part of executive control of attention, whereas suppression, working memory, and selective attention are.