Short-term visual memory

Citation

Phillips W (1983) Short-term visual memory. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 302 (1110), pp. 295-309. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1983.0056

Abstract
Serial position effects in visual memory are presented as evidence for a short-term memory for visuo-spatial information that is not plausibly explained in terms of either verbal or sensory representations. This is called visualization, and is distinguished from long-term visual memory. Cases of head injury are reported in which long-term memory is affected but not visualization. In contrast with this, mental arithmetic interferes with visualization but not with long-term memory. Further studies are reported that throw doubt on the earlier explanation of this interference in terms of competition for a central executive or strategic coordinator. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to a proposal for classifying the main kinds of information represented in higher visuo-spatial cognition.

Journal
Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences: Volume 302, Issue 1110

People

Professor Bill Phillips

Emeritus Professor, Psychology