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The transition from feature to object: Storage unit in visual working memory depends on task difficulty.

Jiehui Qian1, Ke Zhang2, Shengxi Liu2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. qianjh3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

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Visual working memory (VWM) capacity is flexible. It shifts from feature-based storage to object-based storage as task difficulty increases, showing VWM

Keywords:
Feature-based storageObject-based storageTask difficultyVisual working memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Perception

Background:

  • Visual working memory (VWM) is crucial for temporarily storing visual information.
  • A key debate in VWM research concerns whether its storage is object-based or feature-based.
  • Task difficulty is hypothesized to influence VWM capacity and storage units.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how task difficulty affects visual working memory capacity.
  • To determine if VWM storage is object-based or feature-based under varying task difficulties.
  • To examine the role of stimulus complexity and resolution demand on VWM.

Main Methods:

  • A change-detection task was used to assess VWM performance.
  • Task difficulty was manipulated by varying set size, required resolution, and feature type (single vs. conjunctive).
  • Capacity was estimated using object-unit and feature-unit models.

Main Results:

  • Memory capacity for colors was greater than for shapes and decreased with higher resolution demands.
  • VWM storage tended to be feature-based under low task difficulty.
  • VWM storage shifted towards object-based under high task difficulty.

Conclusions:

  • Visual working memory is not static but dynamically adapts its storage strategy based on task demands.
  • The unit of storage in VWM is flexible, transitioning between feature-based and object-based representations.
  • Task difficulty, influenced by factors like resolution and item complexity, modulates VWM's operational mode.