Is long-term memory used in a visuo-spatial change-detection paradigm?

Benjamin Goecke,Klaus Oberauer

doi:10.3758/s13423-021-01951-8

Abstract

In tests of working memory with verbal or spatial materials, repeating the same memory sets across trials leads to improved memory performance. This well-established “Hebb repetition effect” could not be shown for visual materials in previous research. The absence of the Hebb effect can be explained in two ways: Either persons fail to acquire a long-term memory representation of the repeated memory sets, or they acquire such long-term memory representations, but fail to use them during the working memory task. In two experiments (N1 = 18 and N2 = 30), we aimed to decide between these two possibilities by manipulating the long-term memory knowledge of some of the memory sets used in a change-detection task. Before the change-detection test, participants learned three arrays of colors to criterion. The subsequent change-detection test contained both previously learned and new color arrays. Change detection performance was better on previously learned compared with new arrays, showing that long-term memory is used in change detection.

Highlights

In tests of working memory with verbal or spatial materials, repeating the same memory sets across trials leads to improved memory performance
Working memory task we present accuracy across the blocks of the working memory task
We investigated whether information about visual arrays stored in long-term memory was helpful for subsequent performance in a change-detection task using these arrays

Summary

Introduction

In tests of working memory with verbal or spatial materials, repeating the same memory sets across trials leads to improved memory performance. The Hebb effect was originally observed in a task of immediate serial recall with verbal stimuli (Hebb, 1961), and is discussed for its contribution to language learning (Lafond et al, 2010; Szmalec et al, 2009) Other studies found it with meaningful visual stimuli like upright faces (Horton et al, 2008), and with sequences of spatial locations (e.g., Couture & Tremblay, 2006; Gagnon et al, 2004; Page et al, 2006; Turcotte et al, 2005)

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