🧠What We Study

Randy Engle’s Attention and Working Memory Lab studies cognitive functioning from the individual differences perspective. This involves assessing individuals’ cognitive abilities on a wide range of constructs (working memory capacity, attention control, task switching, updating, general discrimination ability, prospective memory, speed-accuracy tendencies, and so on) to

1. Gain theoretical understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind these constructs

2. Investigate the relationships among these abilities

3. Assess how these abilities predict performance on real world behavior and constructs, such as fluid intelligence, multitasking, language acquisition, and military performance

The primary focus of our lab's work is on the nature and measurement of attention control. We conceptualize attention control as the ability to focus on task-relevant information and to resist distraction and interference. We view attention control as a central ability to most complex cognition, as it allows individuals to direct ongoing thought and behavior according to current goals. Those with better attention control are better at avoiding distraction and prioritizing relevant information. They are more likely to stay on task, remember important information, and to avoid repeating mistakes.

As measured by Google Scholar, our lab’s work has been cited over 55,000 times which is the 10th most cited lab in all of Georgia Tech. The scope of our work is broad. We have conducted studies looking at genetic predictors of intelligence, using working memory capacity tasks to predict flight simulation errors among sleep-deprived Air Force pilots, using baseline pupil size to predict intelligence, assessing brain activity during complex tasks using electroencephalogram (EEG), and many others.

To learn more about the lab’s research, visit our Publications page on the website or feel free to ask someone what they are working on!