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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
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Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
Published on: January 23, 2017
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Visual working memory and saliency independently influence the priority for access to visual awareness.
Yun Ding1, Chris L E Paffen1, Marnix Naber1
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Journal of Vision
|September 19, 2019
Summary
Visual working memory and visual saliency independently speed up access to awareness. Their combined effect is additive, meaning salient memorized items reach awareness faster than predicted by each factor alone.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Visual working memory (VWM) and visual saliency guide attention and awareness.
- Memorized or salient items typically gain priority in visual search and awareness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if VWM relevance and visual saliency interact to enhance access to visual awareness.
- To determine if combined VWM and saliency effects are synergistic or independent.
Main Methods:
- Continuous flash suppression (CFS) was used to control access to visual awareness.
- VWM relevance was manipulated via a color memorization task.
- Visual saliency was manipulated using color uniqueness and pop-out effects.
- Awareness access time was measured by the duration to "break" into awareness.
Main Results:
- Both VWM relevance and visual saliency independently reduced the time to access awareness.
- The combined effect of VWM relevance and visual saliency was additive, not synergistic.
- Items that were both VWM-relevant and salient broke into awareness faster.
Conclusions:
- VWM relevance and visual saliency independently modulate the priority for visual awareness.
- The interaction between VWM and saliency can be explained by statistical facilitation.
- These findings suggest independent contributions of VWM and saliency to awareness.
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