Encoding and stability of image statistics in working memory.
Visual working memory contains a representation of certain image statistics (Victor & Conte, 2004), in addition to a pixel-by-pixel representation. Here, we show that the representation of statistics is more stable in time (up to 3000 ms) than the pixel-by-pixel representation, especially for changes in luminance and local high-order statistics, and is not affected by visual masking. Bilaterally symmetric arrays and arrays with local correlations are more readily encoded than random ones, but a change in the presence of bilateral symmetry, per se, contributes only modestly to the ability to detect that an array has changed.
Victor
Jonathan D
JD
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA. jdvicto@med.cornell.edu
Conte
Mary M
MM
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011601:Psychophysics; D011930:Reaction Time; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014796:Visual Perception