Visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless of complexity. Awh, E., Barton, B., & Vogel, E. K. Psychol Sci, 18(7):622–628, 2007. doi abstract bibtex Does visual working memory represent a fixed number of objects, or is capacity reduced as object complexity increases? We measured accuracy in detecting changes between sample and test displays and found that capacity estimates dropped as complexity increased. However, these apparent capacity reductions were strongly correlated with increases in sample-test similarity (r= .97), raising the possibility that change detection was limited by errors in comparing the sample and test, rather than by the number of items that were maintained in working memory. Accordingly, when sample-test similarity was low, capacity estimates for even the most complex objects were equivalent to the estimate for the simplest objects (r= .88), suggesting that visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless of complexity. Finally, a correlational analysis suggested a two-factor model of working memory ability, in which the number and resolution of representations in working memory correspond to distinct dimensions of memory ability.
@Article{Awh2007,
author = {Awh, Edward and Barton, Brian and Vogel, Edward K.},
journal = {Psychol Sci},
title = {Visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless of complexity.},
year = {2007},
number = {7},
pages = {622--628},
volume = {18},
abstract = {Does visual working memory represent a fixed number of objects, or
is capacity reduced as object complexity increases? We measured accuracy
in detecting changes between sample and test displays and found that
capacity estimates dropped as complexity increased. However, these
apparent capacity reductions were strongly correlated with increases
in sample-test similarity (r= .97), raising the possibility that
change detection was limited by errors in comparing the sample and
test, rather than by the number of items that were maintained in
working memory. Accordingly, when sample-test similarity was low,
capacity estimates for even the most complex objects were equivalent
to the estimate for the simplest objects (r= .88), suggesting that
visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless
of complexity. Finally, a correlational analysis suggested a two-factor
model of working memory ability, in which the number and resolution
of representations in working memory correspond to distinct dimensions
of memory ability.},
doi = {10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01949.x},
groups = {Working memory vs. Intake},
institution = {University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA. awh@uoregon.edu},
keywords = {Adolescent; Adult; Color Perception, physiology; Humans; Memory, Short-Term, physiology; Pattern Recognition, Visual, physiology; Reaction Time, physiology; Recognition (Psychology), physiology; Signal Detection, Psychological, physiology; Students, psychology; Task Performance and Analysis},
language = {eng},
medline-pst = {ppublish},
pmid = {17614871},
timestamp = {2015.09.11},
}
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However, these apparent capacity reductions were strongly correlated with increases in sample-test similarity (r= .97), raising the possibility that change detection was limited by errors in comparing the sample and test, rather than by the number of items that were maintained in working memory. Accordingly, when sample-test similarity was low, capacity estimates for even the most complex objects were equivalent to the estimate for the simplest objects (r= .88), suggesting that visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless of complexity. 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We measured accuracy\n\tin detecting changes between sample and test displays and found that\n\tcapacity estimates dropped as complexity increased. However, these\n\tapparent capacity reductions were strongly correlated with increases\n\tin sample-test similarity (r= .97), raising the possibility that\n\tchange detection was limited by errors in comparing the sample and\n\ttest, rather than by the number of items that were maintained in\n\tworking memory. Accordingly, when sample-test similarity was low,\n\tcapacity estimates for even the most complex objects were equivalent\n\tto the estimate for the simplest objects (r= .88), suggesting that\n\tvisual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless\n\tof complexity. 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