Visual cocktail party effect? Self-referencing facilitates object recognition in visual crowding

Visual crowding impedes the recognition of object identity. However, some studies have demonstrated that stimuli with significant meaning (e.g., threats) are processed preferentially under crowded conditions. Here we examined whether self-associated objects, which are personally significant, similarly facilitate object recognition in crowding. To this end, objects were rendered either self-related or other-related by an imagined ownership procedure. Subsequently, a memory test was conducted, along with an assessment of object recognition under crowding conditions. The results replicated the self-reference effect (SRE) in memory. More crucially, objects only transiently associated with self showed reduced crowding interference compared to other-related objects. This finding demonstrates that self-referencing enhances the recognition of objects in crowded scenarios. It supports the notion that personally significant stimuli are prioritized in processing under crowding, a phenomenon that can be conceptualized as a visual cocktail party effect.