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The effect of memory load on object reconstruction: Insights from an online mouse-tracking task
Aedan Y Li1, James Y Yuan2, Carson Pun3
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada. aedanyue.li@utoronto.ca.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|January 4, 2023
Summary
High memory load impairs object reconstruction by causing interference between working memory and perception. Mouse-tracking reveals errors in object-to-location binding, especially when visual similarity is high.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Memory Research
Background:
- Human memory capacity is limited, with interference between relevant and irrelevant information potentially restricting recall.
- Object memory research suggests feature interference impacts memory performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how memory load affects object reconstruction using an online mouse-tracking paradigm.
- To examine the interplay between working memory, perception, and object-to-location binding under varying memory loads.
Main Methods:
- Developed and utilized an online mouse-tracking task to assess object reconstruction.
- Tested up to 18 participants concurrently via virtual conference calls.
- Analyzed mouse trajectories to quantify interference effects during object reconstruction.
Main Results:
- Memory load significantly influenced mouse trajectories during object reconstruction, indicating interference.
- Interference effects were modulated by visual similarity and memory load.
- Evidence of object-to-location binding errors was observed, with participants frequently misdirecting cursors to previously studied, irrelevant objects at high memory loads.
Conclusions:
- Object reconstruction is dynamically influenced by interference between working memory contents and ongoing perception.
- Previously studied irrelevant information can disrupt accurate object recall through binding errors.
- Mouse tracking offers high-resolution behavioral data, enhancing the power of cognitive psychology experiments.
