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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Memory01:14

Sensory Memory

Sensory memory captures information from the environment in its original form for a very brief duration, just long enough to be exposed to visual, auditory, and other senses. This type of memory is detailed and rich but quickly lost unless certain strategies are employed to transfer it into short-term or long-term memory. Sensory information is continuously bombarding the human brain, yet only a small fraction is absorbed, as most of it does not significantly impact daily life. For instance,...
System of Memory01:23

System of Memory

Memory is categorized into three major systems: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). These systems differ in their capacity and the duration for which they can hold information. Sensory memory captures raw sensory input from the environment, holding it for just a few seconds or less. For example, on hearing a brief, loud sound, like a car horn honking, the sound seems to linger in the mind for a moment even after it stops. This is an instance of sensory memory...
Storage01:23

Storage

A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze each...
Visual System01:26

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...
Vision01:24

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.
Working Memory01:24

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

Short-term storage capacity for visual objects depends on expertise.

Thomas Alrik Sørensen1, Søren Kyllingsbaek

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. thomasalrik@gmail.com

Acta Psychologica
|May 26, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) capacity increases with age for letters but not pictures. Expertise, not just age, influences how much information is retained in VSTM.

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Visualizing Visual Adaptation
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Published on: June 21, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Development

Background:

  • Traditional views posit a limited capacity of 3-4 objects for visual short-term memory (VSTM).
  • Emerging research suggests VSTM capacity may be limited by information quantity rather than object count.
  • The influence of long-term practice on VSTM capacity remains an area for further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of long-term practice on visual short-term memory (VSTM) capacity.
  • To examine age-related changes in VSTM capacity for different types of stimuli.
  • To determine if VSTM capacity is stimulus-specific and influenced by expertise.

Main Methods:

  • Studied four age groups, from pre-school children to adults.
  • Measured changes in VSTM capacity using letter and picture stimuli.
  • Compared VSTM performance across different age cohorts and stimulus types.

Main Results:

  • A significant increase in VSTM capacity for letters was observed with increasing age.
  • No comparable increase in VSTM capacity was found for pictures across age groups.
  • Results suggest VSTM capacity is not uniform but varies with stimulus type and experience.

Conclusions:

  • Visual short-term memory capacity is influenced by the level of expertise with specific stimuli.
  • Age-related improvements in VSTM are evident for practiced stimuli like letters.
  • Findings challenge the notion of a fixed VSTM object capacity, highlighting information processing and expertise.