Visuo-spatial working memory

Short-term memory;Visual perception

Ralston, George Eastop ; Quinn, J. G. ; Quinn, J. G.

University:University of St Andrews

Department:Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)

关键词: Short-term memory;    Visual perception;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/9595/GeorgeRalstonPhDThesis.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

This study set out to investigate the visuo-spatial component ofBaddeley and Hitch's (1974) Working Memory framework. The developmentof our understanding of this component has been less dramatic thanthat of its verbal counterpart, the Articulatory Loop. The primaryreason for this can be said to be the lack of techniques forinvestigation (Logie, 1986). This thesis presents one attempt to tryto explore the nature of this code and to reveal possible newtechniques of investigation. The following are three possible areasof investigation :1. Is the system spatially or visually based?2. Does movement have a role in the system?3. How is information stored?The latter two issues are investigated here. Experiments 1-4 setout to explore the possibility that movement may be involved in thecode. These experiments supported the idea that movement has a roleto play in spatial coding and more specifically demonstrated that armmovements which are not compatible with the presentation of spatialmaterial can cause disruption. In addition it was shown that whenmovement identical to that involved in presentation is encouraged atrecall subjects show marked improvement in performance. Togetherthese results very strongly suggest that movement should be givenprominent reference in the definition of spatial coding and in thedescription of the visuo-spatial slave system.Another development that came out of these experiments relates tothe lack of investigative techniques in the field of visuo-spatialshort term memory. The fact that movement has been shown to beimportant suggests that techniques employed to investigatekinaesthetic memory will aid us in exploring visuo-spatial coding.The second issue in this thesis explored further the nature ofthe internal code. Research into the nature of coding invisuo-spatial memory had previously argued for the presence of asequential component. Experiments 1-4 in this thesis had shown thatmovement had an important role to play in coding. The fact thatmovement by its very nature would appear to be sequential suggestedthat there was a strong sequential element in coding withinvisuo-spatial memory. However, concern was expressed that thematerials and presentation format used may have led to sequentialcoding. This was first explored in experiments 5-8. The resultssupported the view that the material and presentation format used hadled to sequential coding. This was further explored by Experiments 9and 10 which illustrated that while it may be important under certainconditions, sequentiality is not always a dominant element in codingwithin the Visuo-Spatial Sketch Pad.This thesis has explored two of the central issues currentlyinteresting theorists of Working Memory and has put forwardsuggestions for techniques which may in the future help us to advanceour knowledge of the visuo-spatial component of the Working Memoryframework.