A Role for Spatial and Nonspatial Working Memory Processes in Visual Search

Anderson, E. J., Mannan, S. K., Rees, G., Kennard, C. and Sumner, Petroc ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0536-0510 2008. A Role for Spatial and Nonspatial Working Memory Processes in Visual Search. Experimental Psychology 55 (5) , pp. 301-312. 10.1027/1618-3169.55.5.301

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Searching a cluttered visual scene for a specific item of interest can take several seconds to perform if the target item is difficult to discriminate from surrounding items. Whether working memory processes are utilized to guide the path of attentional selection during such searches remains under debate. Previous studies have found evidence to support a role for spatial working memory in inefficient search, but the role of nonspatial working memory remains unclear. Here, we directly compared the role of spatial and nonspatial working memory for both an efficient and inefficient search task. In Experiment 1, we used a dual-task paradigm to investigate the effect of performing visual search within the retention interval of a spatial working memory task. Importantly, by incorporating two working memory loads (low and high) we were able to make comparisons between dual-task conditions, rather than between dual-task and single-task conditions. This design allows any interference effects observed to be attributed to changes in memory load, rather than to nonspecific effects related to “dual-task” performance. We found that the efficiency of the inefficient search task declined as spatial memory load increased, but that the efficient search task remained efficient. These results suggest that spatial memory plays an important role in inefficient but not efficient search. In Experiment 2, participants performed the same visual search tasks within the retention interval of visually matched spatial and verbal working memory tasks. Critically, we found comparable dual-task interference between inefficient search and both the spatial and nonspatial working memory tasks, indicating that inefficient search recruits working memory processes common to both domains.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	selective attention, dual processing
Publisher:	Hogrefe
ISSN:	1618-3169
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2022 09:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/5550

Citation Data

Cited 12 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item