Results suggest that response learners, who putatively display more grey matter and activity in the caudate nucleus, are associated with better working memory span, cognitive control and attentional disengagement.Ĭaudate nucleus Cognitive control Digit span Flanker Navigation Working memory.Ĭopyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. Results revealed that response learners showed significantly higher working memory capacity, more efficient attention disengagement and better cognitive control. Fifty participants completed the 4/8 virtual maze to assess navigational strategy, the forward and backward visual digit span and the Attention Network Test - Revised to assess both attention disengagement and cognitive control. This study therefore aimed to investigate whether response learners would display better performance on tests of executive and attention functioning compared to spatial learners. The caudate nucleus is involved in executive functions such as working memory, cognitive control and certain aspects of attention such as attentional disengaging. Spontaneous use of the response strategy is associated with greater activity and grey matter within the caudate nucleus while the spatial strategy is associated with greater activity and grey matter in the hippocampus. Hippocampus-dependent spatial strategy consists of creating a cognitive map of an environment and caudate nucleus-dependent response strategy consists of memorizing a rigid sequence of turns. One of two memory systems can be used to navigate in a new environment. Several literatures in cognitive psychology suggest that individuals have a limit on the capacity available.