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Brook L, Kreichman O, Masarwa S, Gilaie-Dotan S. Higher-contrast images are better remembered during naturalistic encoding. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13445. [PMID: 38862623 PMCID: PMC11166978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63953-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
It is unclear whether memory for images of poorer visibility (as low contrast or small size) will be lower due to weak signals elicited in early visual processing stages, or perhaps better since their processing may entail top-down processes (as effort and attention) associated with deeper encoding. We have recently shown that during naturalistic encoding (free viewing without task-related modulations), for image sizes between 3°-24°, bigger images stimulating more visual system processing resources at early processing stages are better remembered. Similar to size, higher contrast leads to higher activity in early visual processing. Therefore, here we hypothesized that during naturalistic encoding, at critical visibility ranges, higher contrast images will lead to higher signal-to-noise ratio and better signal quality flowing downstream and will thus be better remembered. Indeed, we found that during naturalistic encoding higher contrast images were remembered better than lower contrast ones (~ 15% higher accuracy, ~ 1.58 times better) for images at 7.5-60 RMS contrast range. Although image contrast and size modulate early visual processing very differently, our results further substantiate that at poor visibility ranges, during naturalistic non-instructed visual behavior, physical image dimensions (contributing to image visibility) impact image memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limor Brook
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Olga Kreichman
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shaimaa Masarwa
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Gilaie-Dotan
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK.
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Beitner J, Helbing J, David EJ, Võ MLH. Using a flashlight-contingent window paradigm to investigate visual search and object memory in virtual reality and on computer screens. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8596. [PMID: 38615047 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58941-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
A popular technique to modulate visual input during search is to use gaze-contingent windows. However, these are often rather discomforting, providing the impression of visual impairment. To counteract this, we asked participants in this study to search through illuminated as well as dark three-dimensional scenes using a more naturalistic flashlight with which they could illuminate the rooms. In a surprise incidental memory task, we tested the identities and locations of objects encountered during search. Importantly, we tested this study design in both immersive virtual reality (VR; Experiment 1) and on a desktop-computer screen (Experiment 2). As hypothesized, searching with a flashlight increased search difficulty and memory usage during search. We found a memory benefit for identities of distractors in the flashlight condition in VR but not in the computer screen experiment. Surprisingly, location memory was comparable across search conditions despite the enormous difference in visual input. Subtle differences across experiments only appeared in VR after accounting for previous recognition performance, hinting at a benefit of flashlight search in VR. Our findings highlight that removing visual information does not necessarily impair location memory, and that screen experiments using virtual environments can elicit the same major effects as VR setups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Beitner
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Jason Helbing
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erwan Joël David
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LIUM, Le Mans Université, Le Mans, France
| | - Melissa Lê-Hoa Võ
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Cárdenas-Miller N, O'Donnell RE, Tam J, Wyble B. Surprise! Draw the scene: Visual recall reveals poor incidental working memory following visual search in natural scenes. Mem Cognit 2023:10.3758/s13421-023-01465-9. [PMID: 37770695 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01465-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Searching within natural scenes can induce incidental encoding of information about the scene and the target, particularly when the scene is complex or repeated. However, recent evidence from attribute amnesia (AA) suggests that in some situations, searchers can find a target without building a robust incidental memory of its task relevant features. Through drawing-based visual recall and an AA search task, we investigated whether search in natural scenes necessitates memory encoding. Participants repeatedly searched for and located an easily detected item in novel scenes for numerous trials before being unexpectedly prompted to draw either the entire scene (Experiment 1) or their search target (Experiment 2) directly after viewing the search image. Naïve raters assessed the similarity of the drawings to the original information. We found that surprise-trial drawings of the scene and search target were both poorly recognizable, but the same drawers produced highly recognizable drawings on the next trial when they had an expectation to draw the image. Experiment 3 further showed that the poor surprise trial memory could not merely be attributed to interference from the surprising event. Our findings suggest that even for searches done in natural scenes, it is possible to locate a target without creating a robust memory of either it or the scene it was in, even if attended to just a few seconds prior. This disconnection between attention and memory might reflect a fundamental property of cognitive computations designed to optimize task performance and minimize resource use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan E O'Donnell
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joyce Tam
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Brad Wyble
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Sasin E, Markov Y, Fougnie D. Meaningful objects avoid attribute amnesia due to incidental long-term memories. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14464. [PMID: 37660090 PMCID: PMC10475071 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41642-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Attribute amnesia describes the failure to unexpectedly report the attribute of an attended stimulus, likely reflecting a lack of working memory consolidation. Previous studies have shown that unique meaningful objects are immune to attribute amnesia. However, these studies used highly dissimilar foils to test memory, raising the possibility that good performance at the surprise test was based on an imprecise (gist-like) form of long-term memory. In Experiment 1, we explored whether a more sensitive memory test would reveal attribute amnesia in meaningful objects. We used a four-alternative-forced-choice test with foils having mis-matched exemplar (e.g., apple pie/pumpkin pie) and/or state (e.g., cut/full) information. Errors indicated intact exemplar, but not state information. Thus, meaningful objects are vulnerable to attribute amnesia under the right conditions. In Experiments 2A-2D, we manipulated the familiarity signals of test items by introducing a critical object as a pre-surprise target. In the surprise trial, this critical item matched one of the foil choices. Participants selected the critical object more often than other items. By demonstrating that familiarity influences responses in this paradigm, we suggest that meaningful objects are not immune to attribute amnesia but instead side-step the effects of attribute amnesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Sasin
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
| | - Yuri Markov
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daryl Fougnie
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Masarwa S, Kreichman O, Gilaie-Dotan S. Larger images are better remembered during naturalistic encoding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119614119. [PMID: 35046050 PMCID: PMC8794838 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119614119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We are constantly exposed to multiple visual scenes, and while freely viewing them without an intentional effort to memorize or encode them, only some are remembered. It has been suggested that image memory is influenced by multiple factors, such as depth of processing, familiarity, and visual category. However, this is typically investigated when people are instructed to perform a task (e.g., remember or make some judgment about the images), which may modulate processing at multiple levels and thus, may not generalize to naturalistic visual behavior. Visual memory is assumed to rely on high-level visual perception that shows a level of size invariance and therefore is not assumed to be highly dependent on image size. Here, we reasoned that during naturalistic vision, free of task-related modulations, bigger images stimulate more visual system processing resources (from retina to cortex) and would, therefore, be better remembered. In an extensive set of seven experiments, naïve participants (n = 182) were asked to freely view presented images (sized 3° to 24°) without any instructed encoding task. Afterward, they were given a surprise recognition test (midsized images, 50% already seen). Larger images were remembered better than smaller ones across all experiments (∼20% higher accuracy or ∼1.5 times better). Memory was proportional to image size, faces were better remembered, and outdoors the least. Results were robust even when controlling for image set, presentation order, screen resolution, image scaling at test, or the amount of information. While multiple factors affect image memory, our results suggest that low- to high-level processes may all contribute to image memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaimaa Masarwa
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Olga Kreichman
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Sharon Gilaie-Dotan
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel;
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
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Kristjánsson Á, Draschkow D. Keeping it real: Looking beyond capacity limits in visual cognition. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:1375-1390. [PMID: 33791942 PMCID: PMC8084831 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02256-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Research within visual cognition has made tremendous strides in uncovering the basic operating characteristics of the visual system by reducing the complexity of natural vision to artificial but well-controlled experimental tasks and stimuli. This reductionist approach has for example been used to assess the basic limitations of visual attention, visual working memory (VWM) capacity, and the fidelity of visual long-term memory (VLTM). The assessment of these limits is usually made in a pure sense, irrespective of goals, actions, and priors. While it is important to map out the bottlenecks our visual system faces, we focus here on selected examples of how such limitations can be overcome. Recent findings suggest that during more natural tasks, capacity may be higher than reductionist research suggests and that separable systems subserve different actions, such as reaching and looking, which might provide important insights about how pure attentional or memory limitations could be circumvented. We also review evidence suggesting that the closer we get to naturalistic behavior, the more we encounter implicit learning mechanisms that operate "for free" and "on the fly." These mechanisms provide a surprisingly rich visual experience, which can support capacity-limited systems. We speculate whether natural tasks may yield different estimates of the limitations of VWM, VLTM, and attention, and propose that capacity measurements should also pass the real-world test within naturalistic frameworks. Our review highlights various approaches for this and suggests that our understanding of visual cognition will benefit from incorporating the complexities of real-world cognition in experimental approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Árni Kristjánsson
- School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
- School of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Dejan Draschkow
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Bruett H, Fang X, Kamaraj DC, Haley E, Coutanche MN. Expertise Moderates Incidentally Learned Associations Between Words and Images. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2085. [PMID: 30420825 PMCID: PMC6215838 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with expertise in a domain of knowledge demonstrate superior learning for information in their area of expertise, relative to non-experts. In this study, we investigated whether expertise benefits extend to learning associations between words and images that are encountered incidentally. Sport-knowledge-experts and non-sports-experts encountered previously unknown faces through a basic perceptual task. The faces were incidentally presented as candidates for a position in a sports team (a focus of knowledge for only the sports-experts) or for a job in a business (a focus of knowledge for both the sports-experts and non-sports-experts). Participants later received a series of surprise memory tests that tested: ability to recognize each face as being old, the amount of information recalled about each face, and ability to select a correct face from equally familiar alternatives. Relative to non-sports-experts, participants with superior sports expertise were able to better recall the information associated with each face and could better select associated faces from similarly familiar options for the hypothetical prospective athletes. Hypothetical job candidates were recalled and selected at similar levels of performance in both groups. The groups were similarly familiar with the images (in a yes/no recognition memory test) when the faces were prospective athletes or job candidates. These findings suggest a specific effect of expertise on associative memory between words and images, but not for individual items, supporting a dissociation in how expertise modulates the human memory system for word–image pairings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Bruett
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Xiaoping Fang
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Deepan C Kamaraj
- Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Haley
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Marc N Coutanche
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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