Object features reinstated from episodic memory guide attentional selection

Abstract

When observers search for an object in the environment, they compare the incoming sensory information to the attentional template, a representation of the target in visual working memory (VWM). Previous studies have shown that visual search is more efficient when the attentional template is precise. We pursued the hypothesis that the attentional template in VWM is automatically complemented by features from long-term memory, possibly to increase its precision. At the beginning of the experiment, observers learned associations between shape and color. Then, we tested whether selecting one of these shapes was influenced by the previously associated color. To this end, we ran a saccadic selection task consisting of a memory and choice display. In the memory display, the target shape was presented at central fixation and participants were instructed to foveate this shape in the subsequent choice display. In the choice display, the target shape appeared together with a distractor shape at eccentric positions. Importantly, the target shape was colorless in the memory display so that only shape, but not color was loaded into VWM. However, saccades went more frequently to the target shape when it was shown in the learned color than when this color was shown in the distractor. Thus, the color of the target shape was reinstated from episodic memory to complement the attentional template in VWM.

Memory-driven capture occurs for individual features of an object

“…Specifically, while the matching color may more easily stand-out among non-matching colors due to top-down salience attached to this color, the matching orientation might not be as distinguishable among non-matching orientations. This is consistent with stronger guidance for features that are more distinct [51][52][53][54] .…”

Oculomotor capture by search-irrelevant features in visual working memory: on the crucial role of target–distractor similarity

“…Nevertheless, participants saccaded more often to a distractor that matched the cue's irrelevant color than to a distractor of another color. This effect has already been replicated and extended to the situation where the color is only an attribute of the object stored in long-term memory (LTM) rather than presented during search (Kerzel & Andres, 2020). Moreover, and in line with our results, objects in a search display matching a completely task-irrelevant color belonging to an object contained in VWM can be saccaded to faster and more accurately for a later second task, even in the absence of a distractor (Hollingworth, Matsukura, & Luck, 2013), and can bias the landing position of saccades in the global effect paradigm (Herwig, Beisert, & Schneider, 2010;Hollingworth et al, 2013), and the accuracy and latency of corrective saccades (Hollingworth & Luck, 2009;Hollingworth & Matsukura, 2019).…”

Allocation of resources in working memory: Theoretical and empirical implications for visual search

“…For instance, it has been demonstrated that memory-based interference increased with two “accessory” representations and two corresponding distractors (Chen & Du, 2017 ; Fan et al, 2019 ; Frătescu et al, 2019 ; Hollingworth & Beck, 2016 ). Second, memory-based interference has been reported in conditions where both the attentional template and the “accessory” representation were maintained in WM, which should not occur if the attentional template is the only “active” representation (Bahle et al, 2018 ; Foerster & Schneider, 2018 ; Kerzel & Andres, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ). Finally, as WM representations are stored in a distributed manner across sensory, parietal, and prefrontal networks (Christophel et al, 2017 ; D'Esposito & Postle, 2015 ; Postle, 2006 ), some argue that a bottleneck limiting attentional guidance to a single representation is unlikely, as that would require a singular, WM-specific neural mechanism (Kristjánsson & Kristjánsson, 2018 ).…”

“…However, this conclusion may be compromised by the very nature of the reviewed studies, that is, the use of realistic objects as stimuli. For instance, setting up attentional templates for realistic objects based on visual information may benefit from the reinstatement of object features from LTM (Kerzel & Andres, 2020 ), which may contribute to the advantage of pictorial compared with verbal cues. Moreover, it remains poorly understood whether all features of an object encoded in WM can interact with visual search.…”