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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 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

Competition increases binding errors in visual working memory.

Stephen M Emrich¹, Susanne Ferber

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. semrich@wisc.edu

Journal of Vision

|April 24, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Binding errors in visual working memory (VWM) increase when objects are presented closely together. Spatial arrangement and sequential presentation of stimuli significantly impact these memory errors, suggesting encoding competition plays a key role.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

Accurate recall from visual working memory (VWM) requires binding item features to the correct object.
Binding errors occur when features of non-target items are mistakenly reported.
The spatial configuration of stimuli may influence the occurrence of these binding errors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how the spatial configuration of sample stimuli affects binding errors in VWM.
To determine if stimulus proximity or presentation order influences the rate of non-target responses.
To explore the relationship between stimulus competition during encoding and VWM binding errors.

Main Methods:

Participants maintained multiple objects in VWM under varying spatial arrangements of sample stimuli.
The study measured the proportion of non-target responses (reporting features of unprobed items).
Stimulus presentation was manipulated (simultaneous vs. sequential) to assess competition effects.

Main Results:

Binding errors, indicated by non-target responses, increased when sample items were spatially close.
The proportion of non-target responses showed a linear relationship with the distance between sample items.
Sequential presentation of stimuli reduced non-target responses compared to simultaneous presentation.
These effects occurred without changes in the overall accuracy of memory representations.

Conclusions:

Spatial proximity of stimuli during encoding increases binding errors in VWM, independent of memory load.
Competition between simultaneously presented stimuli contributes to VWM binding errors.
Reducing encoding competition, through sequential presentation, mitigates binding errors.