Working Memory is Related to Perceptual Processing: a Case from Color Perception

Overview

Journal J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn

Publisher American Psychological Association

Specialty Psychology

Date 2011 Apr 13

PMID 21480748

Citations 4

Authors

Elizabeth C Allen

Sian L Beilock

Steven K Shevell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We explored the relation between individual differences in working memory (WM) and color constancy, the phenomenon of color perception that allows us to perceive the color of an object as relatively stable under changes in illumination. Successive color constancy (measured by first viewing a colored surface under a particular illumination and later recalling it under a new illumination) was better for higher WM individuals than for lower WM individuals. Moreover, the magnitude of this WM difference depended on how much contextual information was available in the scene, which typically improves color constancy. By contrast, simple color memory, measured by viewing and recalling a colored surface under the same illumination, showed no significant relation to WM. This study reveals a relation between WM and a low-level perceptual process not previously thought to operate within the confines of attentional control, and it provides a first account of the individual differences in color constancy known about for decades.

Citing Articles

Short-term memory affects color perception in context.

Olkkonen M, Allred S PLoS One. 2014; 9(1):e86488.

PMID: 24475131 PMC: 3903542. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086488.

Enhanced dimension-specific visual working memory in grapheme-color synesthesia.

Terhune D, Wudarczyk O, Kochuparampil P, Cohen Kadosh R Cognition. 2013; 129(1):123-37.

PMID: 23892185 PMC: 3757159. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.06.009.

Effects of memory colour on colour constancy for unknown coloured objects.

Granzier J, Gegenfurtner K Iperception. 2012; 3(3):190-215.

PMID: 23145282 PMC: 3485846. DOI: 10.1068/i0461.

Individual differences in simultaneous color constancy are related to working memory.

Allen E, Beilock S, Shevell S J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 2012; 29(2):A52-9.

PMID: 22330405 PMC: 3494405. DOI: 10.1364/JOSAA.29.000A52.

References

Linnell K, Foster D . Scene articulation: dependence of illuminant estimates on number of surfaces. Perception. 2002; 31(2):151-9. PMC: 1896062. DOI: 10.1068/p03sp. View

MacLeod D, Boynton R . Chromaticity diagram showing cone excitation by stimuli of equal luminance. J Opt Soc Am. 1979; 69(8):1183-6. DOI: 10.1364/josa.69.001183. View

Cornelissen F, Brenner E . Simultaneous colour constancy revisited: an analysis of viewing strategies. Vision Res. 1995; 35(17):2431-48. View

Yang J, Shevell S . Stereo disparity improves color constancy. Vision Res. 2002; 42(16):1979-89. DOI: 10.1016/s0042-6989(02)00098-6. View

DeCaro M, Wieth M, Beilock S . Methodologies for examining problem solving success and failure. Methods. 2007; 42(1):58-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2006.12.006. View

Hegarty M, Shah P, Miyake A . Constraints on using the dual-task methodology to specify the degree of central executive involvement in cognitive tasks. Mem Cognit. 2000; 28(3):376-85. DOI: 10.3758/bf03198553. View

Jin E, Shevell S . Color memory and color constancy. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 1996; 13(10):1981-91. DOI: 10.1364/josaa.13.001981. View

Unsworth N, Heitz R, Schrock J, Engle R . An automated version of the operation span task. Behav Res Methods. 2006; 37(3):498-505. DOI: 10.3758/bf03192720. View

Conway A, Kane M, Bunting M, Hambrick D, Wilhelm O, Engle R . Working memory span tasks: A methodological review and user's guide. Psychon Bull Rev. 2006; 12(5):769-86. DOI: 10.3758/bf03196772. View

10.

LAND E . COLOR VISION AND THE NATURAL IMAGE PART II. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1959; 45(4):636-44. PMC: 222609. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.45.4.636. View

11.

Awh E, Barton B, Vogel E . Visual working memory represents a fixed number of items regardless of complexity. Psychol Sci. 2007; 18(7):622-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01949.x. View

12.

Kane M, Poole B, Tuholski S, Engle R . Working memory capacity and the top-down control of visual search: Exploring the boundaries of "executive attention". J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2006; 32(4):749-77. DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.32.4.749. View

13.

Kraft J, Maloney S, Brainard D . Surface-illuminant ambiguity and color constancy: effects of scene complexity and depth cues. Perception. 2002; 31(2):247-63. DOI: 10.1068/p08sp. View

14.

Ochsner K, Bunge S, Gross J, Gabrieli J . Rethinking feelings: an FMRI study of the cognitive regulation of emotion. J Cogn Neurosci. 2002; 14(8):1215-29. DOI: 10.1162/089892902760807212. View

15.

Jenness J, Shevell S . Color appearance with sparse chromatic context. Vision Res. 1995; 35(6):797-805. DOI: 10.1016/0042-6989(94)00169-m. View

16.

Tuholski S, Engle R, Baylis G . Individual differences in working memory capacity and enumeration. Mem Cognit. 2001; 29(3):484-92. DOI: 10.3758/bf03196399. View

17.

Yang J, Maloney L . Illuminant cues in surface color perception: tests of three candidate cues. Vision Res. 2001; 41(20):2581-600. DOI: 10.1016/s0042-6989(01)00143-2. View

18.

Lavie N, de Fockert J . The role of working memory in attentional capture. Psychon Bull Rev. 2006; 12(4):669-74. DOI: 10.3758/bf03196756. View

19.

Reeves A, Amano K, Foster D . Color constancy: phenomenal or projective?. Percept Psychophys. 2008; 70(2):219-28. PMC: 2430609. DOI: 10.3758/pp.70.2.219. View

20.

Kane M, Engle R . Working-memory capacity and the control of attention: the contributions of goal neglect, response competition, and task set to Stroop interference. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2003; 132(1):47-70. DOI: 10.1037/0096-3445.132.1.47. View