Encoding specificity instead of online integration of real-world spatial regularities for objects in working memory

Most objects show high degrees of spatial regularity (e.g. beach umbrellas appear above, not under, beach chairs). The spatial regularities of real-world objects benefit visual working memory (VWM), but the mechanisms behind this spatial regularity effect remain unclear. The "encoding specificity" hypothesis suggests that spatial regularity will enhance the visual encoding process but will not facilitate the integration of information online during VWM maintenance. The "perception-alike" hypothesis suggests that spatial regularity will function in both visual encoding and online integration during VWM maintenance. We investigated whether VWM integrates sequentially presented real-world obje…

Individual differences in working memory capacity are unrelated to the magnitudes of retrocue benefits

AbstractPrevious studies have associated visual working memory (VWM) capacity with the use of internal attention. Retrocues, which direct internal attention to a particular object or feature dimension, can improve VWM performance (i.e., retrocue benefit, RCB). However, so far, no study has investigated the relationship between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of RCBs obtained from object-based and dimension-based retrocues. The present study explored individual differences in the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCBs and their relationships with VWM capacity. Participants completed a VWM capacity measurement, an object-based cue task, and a dimension-based cue task. We confirmed tha…

内部注意在维度层面对视觉工作记忆的影响

Visual working memory is a memory system with limited capacity, thus internal attention plays a crucial role in selecting, controlling, and maintaining its stored content. Retro-cues are an important tool to study the influence of internal attention on visual working memory. Retro-cues are an important paradigm for studying the influence of internal attention on visual working memory. Depending on the different content of the cue, it can be divided into object-based retro-cue and dimension-based retro-cue and there are significant differences between them. The emergence of dimension-based retro-cue in recent years has become one of the hot topics of research. There are articles summarizing …

Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity Are Unrelated to the Magnitude of Benefits from Object- and Dimension-Based Retro-Cues

视觉工作记忆中数量和精度的权衡关系是否受个体自发控制

There is a negative correlation between the quality and quantity of memory representations in visual working memory, and this negative correlation is seen as a trade-off between quantity and quality. However, it is unclear whether this trade-off is entirely stimulus-driven or can be controlled voluntarily by individuals according to task demands, which has led to a debate on the mechanism of memory resource allocation. This paper systematically reviews the development of research on whether the trade-off between quantity and quality is subject to individual voluntary control, and point out this voluntary control is influenced by the exposure duration and working memory capacity, and some su…

Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity Are Unrelated to the Magnitude of Benefits from Object- and Dimension-Based Retro-Cues