## 1 Introduction  
Deficits in top-down attention, particularly selective attention, are well documented in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (for a review, see [1]). Top-down attention refers to the guided allocation of attentional resources based on prior knowledge, goals, and plans [2]. A critical subdomain, selective attention, allows individuals to focus on task-relevant information while suppressing irrelevant distractions [3]. Impairments in selective attention can significantly impact daily functioning and provide insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying MDD. Research demonstrates that individuals with MDD often exhibit deficits in feature-based selective attention, which involves prioritizing specific attributes (e.g., color or shape) of stimuli while ignoring distractions. For example, slower reaction times and poor performance on the non-emotional Stroop color-word task have been linked to reduced functional connectivity within the frontoparietal attention network, as evaluated with fMRI and a decreased parietal alpha power and as measured with resting state EEG with closed eyes, predisposing individuals with worse attentional focus to developing depression [4]. In contrast, spatial selective attention, which prioritizes specific locations, appears to be relatively preserved in MDD, as evidenced by tasks like the Flanker paradigm showing no significant differences between MDD and healthy controls [5; 6]. These findings suggest that attentional impairments in MDD are domain-specific, warranting further investigation into the mechanisms governing feature-based selective attention. The current study aimed to investigate feature-based selective attention in individuals with depressive tendencies, characterized by persistent negative moods, a lack of enjoyment, low self-esteem, and anhedonia as compared to matched controls. Specifically, the study examined, in high- and low-state-depression individuals, the neurophysiological effects of attentional allocation and distractor processing under varying visual working memory (VWM) loads. VWM is a capacity-limited system that temporarily maintains visual information to support ongoing tasks [7; 8]. This study is grounded in [PERSON]'s Perceptual Load Theory (PLT [9; 10]), which posits that the perceptual load of a task, referring to the complexity and numerosity of the physical stimuli, determines the extent of distractor processing. According to the PLT, perception is proposed to be an automatic process that continues until the limited perceptual capacity is fully exhausted. Under low perceptual loads (e.g., encoding and maintaining one complex object in VWM), excess attentional resources may spill over, allowing irrelevant stimuli to capture attention. In contrast, high perceptual loads (e.g., encoding and maintaining four complex objects in VWM) deplete attentional capacity, reducing or eliminating distractor processing. Although PLT has been supported mainly by behavioral studies (e.g., [11]), its neurophysiological underpinnings remain somewhat underexplored. Event-related potentials (ERPs) provide a time-sensitive method for examining attentional processes at the neural level, making them essential for understanding how individuals with depressive tendencies regulate attention. Traditional behavioral measures, such as reaction times and accuracy, may not fully capture the rapid and automatic nature of attentional mechanisms. ERPs, in contrast, allow researchers to directly measure the temporal dynamics of attentional suppression and selection, offering a more precise investigation of attentional control deficits in depression. A systematic evaluation of ERP studies has reported perceptual load effects as predicted by the PLT at all processing stages. The findings are, however, mixed, and this inconsistency is not only especially observed for earlier ERP components (i.e., C1, P1, N1) but also seen during later stages (i.e., P2, N2) (for a review, see [12]).