Abstract
An influential theory suggests that integrated objects, rather than individual features, are the fundamental units that limit our capacity to temporarily store visual information (S. J. Luck & E. K. Vogel, 1997). Using a paradigm that independently estimates the number and precision of items stored in working memory (W. Zhang & S. J. Luck, 2008), here we show that the storage of features is not cost-free. The precision and number of objects held in working memory was estimated when observers had to remember either the color, the orientation, or both the color and orientation of simple objects. We found that while the quantity of stored objects was largely unaffected by increasing the number of features, the precision of these representations dramatically decreased. Moreover, this selective deterioration in object precision depended on the multiple features being contained within the same objects. Such fidelity costs were even observed with change detection paradigms when those paradigms placed demands on the precision of the stored visual representations. Taken together, these findings not only demonstrate that the maintenance of integrated features is costly; they also suggest that objects and features affect visual working memory capacity differently.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Vision |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 23 2010 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Attention
- Memory
- Visual cognition
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology
- Sensory Systems
Cite this
What are the units of storage in visual working memory? / Fougnie, Daryl; Asplund, Christopher L.; Marois, René.
In: Journal of Vision, Vol. 10, No. 12, 23.11.2010, p. 1-11.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - What are the units of storage in visual working memory?
AU - Fougnie, Daryl
AU - Asplund, Christopher L.
AU - Marois, René
PY - 2010/11/23
Y1 - 2010/11/23
N2 - An influential theory suggests that integrated objects, rather than individual features, are the fundamental units that limit our capacity to temporarily store visual information (S. J. Luck & E. K. Vogel, 1997). Using a paradigm that independently estimates the number and precision of items stored in working memory (W. Zhang & S. J. Luck, 2008), here we show that the storage of features is not cost-free. The precision and number of objects held in working memory was estimated when observers had to remember either the color, the orientation, or both the color and orientation of simple objects. We found that while the quantity of stored objects was largely unaffected by increasing the number of features, the precision of these representations dramatically decreased. Moreover, this selective deterioration in object precision depended on the multiple features being contained within the same objects. Such fidelity costs were even observed with change detection paradigms when those paradigms placed demands on the precision of the stored visual representations. Taken together, these findings not only demonstrate that the maintenance of integrated features is costly; they also suggest that objects and features affect visual working memory capacity differently.
AB - An influential theory suggests that integrated objects, rather than individual features, are the fundamental units that limit our capacity to temporarily store visual information (S. J. Luck & E. K. Vogel, 1997). Using a paradigm that independently estimates the number and precision of items stored in working memory (W. Zhang & S. J. Luck, 2008), here we show that the storage of features is not cost-free. The precision and number of objects held in working memory was estimated when observers had to remember either the color, the orientation, or both the color and orientation of simple objects. We found that while the quantity of stored objects was largely unaffected by increasing the number of features, the precision of these representations dramatically decreased. Moreover, this selective deterioration in object precision depended on the multiple features being contained within the same objects. Such fidelity costs were even observed with change detection paradigms when those paradigms placed demands on the precision of the stored visual representations. Taken together, these findings not only demonstrate that the maintenance of integrated features is costly; they also suggest that objects and features affect visual working memory capacity differently.
KW - Attention
KW - Memory
KW - Visual cognition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78449258399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78449258399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1167/10.12.27
DO - 10.1167/10.12.27
M3 - Article
C2 - 21047759
AN - SCOPUS:78449258399
VL - 10
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Journal of Vision
JF - Journal of Vision
SN - 1534-7362
IS - 12
ER -