Visual Working Memory Capacity Does Not Modulate the Feature-Based Information Filtering in Visual Working Memory

Abstract

BackgroundThe limited capacity of visual working memory (VWM) requires us to select the task relevant information and filter out the irrelevant information efficiently. Previous studies showed that the individual differences in VWM capacity dramatically influenced the way we filtered out the distracters displayed in distinct spatial-locations: low-capacity individuals were poorer at filtering them out than the high-capacity ones. However, when the target and distracting information pertain to the same object (i.e., multiple-featured object), whether the VWM capacity modulates the feature-based filtering remains unknown.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe explored this issue mainly based on one of our recent studies, in which we asked the participants to remember three colors of colored-shapes or colored-landolt-Cs while using two types of task irrelevant information. We found that the irrelevant high-discriminable information could not be filtered out during the extraction of VWM but the irrelevant fine-grained information could be. We added 8 extra participants to the original 16 participants and then split the overall 24 participants into low- and high-VWM capacity groups. We found that regardless of the VWM capacity, the irrelevant high-discriminable information was selected into VWM, whereas the irrelevant fine-grained information was filtered out. The latter finding was further corroborated in a second experiment in which the participants were required to remember one colored-landolt-C and a more strict control was exerted over the VWM capacity.Conclusions/SignificanceWe conclude that VWM capacity did not modulate the feature-based filtering in VWM.

Coarse-to-Fine Construction for High-Resolution Representation in Visual Working Memory

“…The current finding of coarse-to-fine processing for high-resolution representations was also supported by the results of our recent behavioral and ERP studies [53], [54], [55], [56], [57]. If coarse-to-fine processing takes place, coarse information can be encoded without accompanying detailed information, but not vice versa.…”

The impact of visual working memory capacity on the filtering efficiency of emotional face distractors

“…six in the present study), H is the hit rate or proportion of correct responses when a change is present and F is the false alarm rate or proportion of incorrect responses when no change is present. As with many previous VWM studies, participants were divided into a high-capacity group and a low-capacity group by using a median split on their K c scores (Li, He, Wang, Hu, & Guo, 2017;Owens et al, 2012;Vogel et al, 2005;Weaver, Hickey, & van Zoest, 2017;Zhou et al, 2011).…”

Number representation is influenced by numerical processing level: an ERP study

“…Furthermore, the neural substrate of N270 lies at anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which fits well with the neural region for conflict processing Zhang et al 2008). Recently, some researchers have successfully adopted the N270 to explore the inner representation issues, such as the representation mechanisms in visual working memory, the number representation, and found that the N270 profiles matched well with the implication of the behavioral performance (e.g., Chen et al 2009;Gao et al 2010;Newman and Connolly 2004;Yin et al 2011;Zhou et al 2011). Here, we asked participants to do different levels of processing for the firstpresented numbers, and then compare the memory representation of the first numbers with the second input, to examine whether the N270 was modulated by the notation types of the second input numbers.…”