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Reprioritization of Features of Multidimensional Objects Stored in Visual Working Memory
Young Eun Park1, Jocelyn L Sy1, Sang Wook Hong2
11 Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University.
Psychological Science
|September 29, 2017
Summary
Visual working memory (VWM) can focus on specific object features. Prioritizing one feature speeds up forgetting of others, showing VWM representations are flexible.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Visual working memory (VWM) is often conceptualized as maintaining integrated objects.
- This object-based view suggests all features are stored cohesively.
- It remains unclear if VWM resources can be reallocated to specific features.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if memory resources in VWM can be redeployed to a specific feature of an object.
- To determine if VWM representations are flexible and decomposable into individual features.
Main Methods:
- Participants maintained objects in VWM.
- A retrospective cue was presented during the maintenance period.
- Memory for cued and uncued features was assessed over time.
Main Results:
- A cue successfully protected the cued feature from decay and loss.
- This protection came at the cost of accelerated forgetting for uncued features.
- Evidence suggests VWM object representations can be decomposed.
Conclusions:
- VWM object representations are not immutable units; they can be decomposed into features.
- Active maintenance in VWM is resource-dependent and can be reallocated.
- Focusing on specific features impacts the maintenance of other features within the same object.
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