The Mental Muscle: Effects of Concurrent Effortful Physical Action on Visual Working Memory

Action and cognition are closely intertwined in everyday life. For example, human observers frequently incorporate eye movements in mental representations and processes. However, how concurrent physical activity influences cognition beyond the oculomotor system remains unclear. Here, we ask how exerting an effortful physical action, such as hand gripping, impacts visual working memory (VWM), a core cognitive process. Using a novel choice...