Memory for action: a functional view of selection in visual working memory

Abstract

Perception is shaped by actions, which determine the allocation of selective attention across the visual field. Here, we review evidence that maintenance in visual working memory is similarly influenced by actions (eye or hand movements), planned and executed well after encoding: Representations that are relevant for an upcoming actionbecause they spatially correspond to the action goal or because they are defined along action-related feature dimensionsare automatically prioritised over action-irrelevant representations and held in a stable state. We summarise what is known about specific characteristics and mechanisms of selection-for-action in working memory, such as its temporal dynamics and spatial specificity, and delineate open questions. This newly-burgeoning area of research promotes a more functional perspective on visual working memory that emphasizes its role in action control.

Output planning at the input stage in visual working memory

“…Our results build on and extend several lines of prior research that have linked visual working memory and action (23)(24)(25). For example, it has been established that overt actions can themselves influence visual working memory performance (24,44,45) and that brain structures that control action also participate in visual working memory (46,47).…”

“…Our results build on and extend several lines of prior research that have linked visual working memory and action (23)(24)(25). For example, it has been established that overt actions can themselves influence visual working memory performance (24,44,45) and that brain structures that control action also participate in visual working memory (46,47). We investigated the complementary direction of this interaction, revealing that the selection of visual information into working memory also naturally recruits the preparation for prospective manual actions [see also (19)(20)(21)(22)].…”

“…6 and 7. This showed no clear differences in action encoding (for the primary memory task) in trials in which participants were fast versus slow [t (24) S6). This suggests that the relations between action encoding and ensuing performance (Figs.…”

Visual working memory and action: Functional links and bi-directional influences

“…Extending this to the domain of working memory, recent studies have shown that goal-directed eye movements made after visual encoding can still facilitate performance of spatially-congruent items (here, congruent with memorized item location) (Hanning & Deubel, 2018 ; Hanning et al, 2016 ; Ohl & Rolfs, 2017 , 2018 ); see also (Bays & Husain, 2008 ). This work is also reviewed in more detail in a complementary article by Heuer et al ( 2020 ) in this special issue. This has been shown to occur so automatically that congruent-item benefits persist even when the saccade-congruent item is less likely to be probed for report after the memory delay (Ohl & Rolfs, 2017 , 2020 ).…”

“…In addition to attentional prioritization at the level of memory items, it has recently become clear that feature-dimensions – that are shared across memory items – can also be prioritized in visual working memory (Hajonides et al, 2019 ; Niklaus et al, 2017 ; Park et al, 2017 ; Pilling & Barrett, 2016 ; Ye et al, 2016 ). Such feature-dimension prioritization has been reported to be contingent on actions as well; such that plans for distinct types of manual actions (grasp vs point) facilitate distinct feature-dimensions of visual information in memory (size vs colour) (Heuer & Schubö, 2017 ); see also (Heuer et al, 2020 ).…”