@article{5803673,
  abstract     = {{Various prominent models on serial order coding in working memory (WM) build on the notion that serial order is achieved by binding the various items to-be-maintained to fixed position markers. Despite being relatively successful in accounting for empirical observations and some recent neuro-imaging support, these models were largely formulated on theoretical grounds and few specifications have been provided with respect to the cognitive and/or neural nature of these position markers. Here we outline a hypothesis on a novel candidate mechanism to substantiate the notion of serial position markers. Specifically, we propose that serial order WM is grounded in the spatial attention system: (I) The position markers that provide multi-item WM with a serial context should be understood as coordinates within an internal, spatially defined system; (II) internal spatial attention is involved in searching through the resulting serial order representation; and (III) retrieval corresponds to selection by spatial attention. We sketch the available empirical support and discuss how the hypothesis may provide a parsimonious framework from which to understand a broad range of observations across behavioral, neural and neuropsychological domains. Finally, we pinpoint what we believe are major questions for future research inspired by the hypothesis.}},
  articleno    = {{932}},
  author       = {{Abrahamse, Elger and van Dijck, Jean-Philippe and Majerus, Steve and Fias, Wim}},
  issn         = {{1662-5161}},
  journal      = {{FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE}},
  keywords     = {{BRAIN-DAMAGE,FMRI EVIDENCE,serial order,working memory,space,positional models,position marker,spatial attention,hypothesis,NEGLECT DYSLEXIA,VISUAL-ATTENTION,NUMBER LINE,SELECTIVE ATTENTION,SPATIAL ATTENTION,LEFT INTRAPARIETAL SULCUS,POSTERIOR PARIETAL CORTEX,HORT-TERM-MEMORY}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{November}},
  pages        = {{932:1--932:12}},
  title        = {{Finding the answer in space: the mental whiteboard hypothesis on serial order in working memory}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00932}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}

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