Embodied memory allows accurate and stable perception of hidden objects despite orientation change.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Visual Perception
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Scene orientation changes typically impair object identification based on static image information.
• Optic flow generated during scene rotation can create an embodied memory aiding recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the embodied memory hypothesis that continuous optic flow and image structure information enable stable perception during orientation changes.
• To investigate whether seeing the rolling process is crucial for maintaining performance.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted using visual stimuli involving scene rotation (rolling).
• Participants identified targets using combined optic flow and image structure information, with and without visible rolling and orientation changes.
• Performance was assessed based on accuracy and stability of target identification.

Main Results:

• Combined optic flow and image structure information led to accurate and stable identification of occluded targets (Experiment 1).
• Participants identified hidden targets equally well with or without 30° orientation changes when rolling was visible (Experiment 2).
• Identification performance significantly worsened when the rolling motion was unseen, even with prior knowledge of the orientation change (Experiment 3).

Conclusions:

• Continuous optic flow and image structure information are essential for maintaining accurate and stable perception during orientation changes.
• Embodied memory, formed by perceiving the spatial transformation, underpins robust visual recognition.
• Knowledge of an impending orientation change alone is insufficient to preserve performance without concurrent visual motion cues.