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Memory's double take: Dissociating two forms of recollection in visual working memory
Stephanie Norris1,2, Andrew P Yonelinas3,4
1Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. sjnorris@ucdavis.edu.
Memory & Cognition
|May 28, 2026
Summary
Visual working memory (VWM) can distinguish between detecting changes and repetitions. New VWM tests show that recalling changes is separate from recalling repetitions, offering insights into cognitive processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Visual working memory (VWM) is crucial for change and repetition detection.
- The functional dissociation between these VWM operations remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare two VWM paradigms designed to isolate change detection and repetition detection.
- To investigate whether the ability to recollect changes can be dissociated from recollecting repetitions.
Main Methods:
- Two VWM tests (Any-Difference and Any-Sameness) were employed.
- Receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) and dual-process signal detection models were used.
- Subjective reports on active maintenance versus sensing were collected in a second experiment.
Main Results:
- The Any-Difference test yielded higher recollection estimates for changes, while the Any-Sameness test yielded higher estimates for repetitions.
- ROC patterns were consistent across experiments.
- Subjective reports correlated with recollection estimates, indicating active maintenance.
Conclusions:
- The two VWM tests offer complementary insights into change and repetition judgments.
- Recollecting changes can be functionally dissociated from recollecting repetitions.
- These methods provide a novel approach for studying VWM in various populations.
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