THE STRUCTURE OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY: EVIDENCES BASED ON DYNAMIC VISUAL NOISE EFFECT

• Grant number: 12/17281-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Cesar Alexis Galera
• Grantee: Rafael Vasques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Logie's visuospatial memory model explains a large amount of experimental data, but has difficulty with the results found using the Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN), which consists of a screen composed of squares randomly alternating between black and white. The DVN affect the encoding and retrieval, but not the maintenance of memories created from imagery. This effect involves direct access to some visual store, which is not predicted in Logie's model. One possible solution proposed by Quinn is based on Kosslyn's model of visual processing. But most of the results of noise interference occurs with memories created from imagery and hardly presents results with visual stimuli, which would generalize the results obtained with DVN for visual memory tasks resulting in a broader empirical basis for understanding of cognitive processes related to visual images and the structure of visual memory. The objective of this study is to evaluate Quinn's proposal and try to generalize the results obtained with DVN on tasks based on imagery for visual memory tasks, using the matrices of the Visual Patterns Test. We expect that DVN impairs encoding and retrieval of matrices, but has no effect during maintenance. In Experiments 1 and 2 we will evaluate the effect on encoding and maintenance, in experiment 3 in retrieval.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

VASQUES, Rafael. The structure of visual working memory: evidences based on dynamic visual noise effect.. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.