Abstract: Visual search is a common perceptual task used to study how attention selects a particular object in the visual scene among a large number of distractors. Working memory, which is used to retain relevant information and suppress irrelevant information, has been proved to play a crucial role in visual search process, e.g., maintaining the visual search template, offering the place for matching the search template and visual search items, and preventing attention from re-orienting to the examined items. Based on the relevant evidence reviewed here, it is clear that working memory does play a role in visual search, but how it works still needs further studies.

Key words: working memory, visual search, inhibition of return