[The discrimination of color images in human operative memory]

Qualitative changes of color image maintained in the operative memory were studied using the modified Sperling's strategy. On the basis of estimations of difference between any two color images (from nine possible), contained in the same memory volume within 50 and 100 ms, the respective mnemonic spaces were built and afterwards correlated with the perceptual and semantic spaces. It was found out that the maintenance of a color image in the operative memory was affected by two simultaneous but independent factors. The first factor described the fading, i.e., extent of the intensity loss of the primary color image in the process of its maintenance in the operative memory. Fading was accompanied by a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio and increase in the incidence of the casual mistakes in comparing the images with each other. The second factor determined the systematic transformation of color images in the memory expressed in the effect of clusterization of point stimuli and specific change in the between-point distances (estimations of difference).