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Shared processing in multiple object tracking and visual working memory in the absence of response order and task
Mark D Lapierre1, Simon J Cropper1, Piers D L Howe1
1Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Plos One
|April 15, 2017
Summary
Visual tracking and working memory share resources, impacting performance in dual-task scenarios. Controlling for task order reveals consistent declines, unlike previous studies suggesting task independence.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual perception
Background:
- Understanding the visual system's representation of multiple moving objects is key to visual tracking.
- The interaction between attention and working memory is crucial for explaining these representations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between visual tracking and working memory.
- To determine if these cognitive functions share processing resources.
Main Methods:
- A series of dual-task experiments involving visual tracking and working memory tasks.
- Careful control of task order and response order to avoid confounds.
Main Results:
- When confounds were controlled, participants showed decreased performance in both tracking and working memory.
- Individual differences in performance were observed when task and response orders were not controlled.
Conclusions:
- Visual tracking and working memory tasks demonstrably share processing resources.
- Previous conflicting reports may stem from inadequate control of experimental confounds.