Stroboscopic visual training improves information encoding in short-term memory

Abstract

The visual system has developed to transform an undifferentiated and continuous flow of information into discrete and manageable representations, and this ability rests primarily on the uninterrupted nature of the input. Here we explore the impact of altering how visual information is accumulated over time by assessing how intermittent vision influences memory retention. Previous work has shown that intermittent, or stroboscopic, visual training (i.e., practicing while only experiencing snapshots of vision) can enhance visual-motor control and visual cognition, yet many questions remain unanswered about the mechanisms that are altered. In the present study, we used a partial-report memory paradigm to assess the possible changes in visual memory following training under stroboscopic conditions. In Experiment 1, the memory task was completed before and immediately after a training phase, wherein participants engaged in physical activities (e.g., playing catch) while wearing either specialized stroboscopic eyewear or transparent control eyewear. In Experiment 2, an additional group of participants underwent the same stroboscopic protocol but were delayed 24 h between training and assessment, so as to measure retention. In comparison to the control group, both stroboscopic groups (immediate and delayed retest) revealed enhanced retention of information in short-term memory, leading to better recall at longer stimulus-to-cue delays (640-2,560 ms). These results demonstrate that training under stroboscopic conditions has the capacity to enhance some aspects of visual memory, that these faculties generalize beyond the specific tasks that were trained, and that trained improvements can be maintained for at least a day.

Stroboscopic Visual Training: a Pilot Study with Three Elite Youth Football Goalkeepers

“…The amount of training undertaken by the EG participants in the current study far exceeds the 4 weeks deemed insufficient by Rezaee et al (2012) and is also considerably greater than other SVT studies which have produced significant findings (e.g. Appelbaum et al 2011;Appelbaum et al 2012;Holliday 2013;Mitroff et al 2013;Smith and Mitroff 2012;Wilkins and Gray 2015).…”

“…Appelbaum et al 2011;Appelbaum et al 2012;Smith and Mitroff 2012;Wilkins and Gray 2015), it is hypothesised that the participants who undergo SVT will improve their performance on a battery of visual and perceptual tests, whilst the control participants will have no change in test performance. A thematic analysis of the qualitative data from one-to-one interviews with the experimental participants will also indicate the positive benefits of SVT.…”

“…Skills such as central-field motion sensitivity (Appelbaum et al 2011), short-term visual memory (Appelbaum et al 2012), anticipation (Smith and Mitroff 2012), dynamic visual acuity (Holliday 2013), processing speed (Wilkins and Gray 2015), and accommodation ) have all been found to improve following a period of SVT. Whilst effects on motor performance are less researched, a pilot study by Mitroff et al (2013) showed a considerable increase in ice hockey shooting and passing performance for individuals who underwent SVT, whilst a control group saw no such improvements.…”

Action video game playing is associated with improved visual sensitivity, but not alterations in visual sensory memory

“…This task was a modified version of the task used by Lu et al (2005) and was identical to the task used by Appelbaum, Cain, Schroeder, Darling, and Mitroff (2012). In this experiment, visual stimuli were viewed by the participants from an approximate distance of 57 cm in a dimly lit room.…”

Attentional guidance by working memory differs by paradigm: An individual-differences approach

“…Behavioral task data were collected along with a large battery of self-report assessments (see Appelbaum, Cain, Schroeder, Darling, & Mitroff, 2012). The current study examined two attention-related surveys: the Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) questionnaire (Jasper & Goldberg, 1993) and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (ASQ; Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Skinner, Martin, & Clubley, 2001) with a focus on the two attention-related sub-categories of attentionswitching and attention to detail.…”