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Working Memory

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

The comparison of visual working memory representations with perceptual inputs.

Joo-seok Hyun¹, Geoffrey F Woodman, Edward K Vogel

¹Department of Psychology, Chug-ang University, Seoul, Korea.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance

|August 6, 2009

Summary

Detecting changes between visual memory and perception is like visual search. A parallel process rapidly shifts attention to changed items, but a slow process is needed for manual responses.

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Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

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Published on: November 9, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

The human visual system distinguishes between remembered and perceived visual information.
The precise mechanisms underlying this memory-perception comparison remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if detecting memory-percept differences parallels simple feature detection in visual search.
To determine if this difference detection triggers rapid attentional shifts.

Main Methods:

Experiments utilized manual reaction times, saccadic reaction times, and event-related potential (ERP) latencies.
The study compared responses to changes in visual stimulus arrays against stored memories.

Main Results:

Evidence suggests a parallel detection process for memory-percept differences, akin to visual search.
This parallel process facilitates rapid attentional shifts towards changed stimuli.
A subsequent slow, limited-capacity process is necessary for manual change detection responses.

Conclusions:

Change detection in visual memory involves a rapid, parallel attentional mechanism.
This mechanism is analogous to feature detection in visual search tasks.
Manual response execution requires an additional, slower processing stage.