Visual working memory and action: Functional links and bi-directional influences

Freek Van Ede

doi:10.1080/13506285.2020.1759744

Abstract

ABSTRACT Working memory bridges perception to action over extended delays, enabling flexible goal-directed behaviour. To date, studies of visual working memory – concerned with detailed visual representations such as shape and colour – have considered visual memory predominantly in the context of visual task demands, such as visual identification and search. Another key purpose of visual working memory is to directly inform and guide upcoming actions. Taking this as a starting point, I review emerging evidence for the pervasive bi-directional links between visual working memory and (planned) action, and discuss these links from the perspective of their common goal of enabling flexible and precise behaviour.

Highlights

More directly relevant in the current review, precise actions require detailed visual information. When this information is not currently available to our eyes, our actions must rely on the visual information that we had tactfully kept in working memory in anticipation that it will eventually become relevant
I argue that the pervasiveness of these influences makes sense if we consider that these two functions – that may appear somewhat remote at first – often share the common goal of guiding flexible adaptive behaviour
This reinforces the notion of visual working memory as a fundamental interface between perception and action that enables us to extend the temporal intervals by which past perception can inform future action and to break away from immediate, reflex-driven, behaviour

Summary

Introduction

Visual working memory enables us to hold available those past visual sensations that we anticipate to become relevant for guiding adaptive future behaviour (Baddeley, 1992; Bays & Husain, 2008; de Vries et al, 2020; D’esposito & Postle, 2015; Fiehler et al, 2011; Luck & Vogel, 1997; Miller et al, 1996; Myers et al, 2017; Nobre & Stokes, 2019; Serences, 2016). With this as a starting point, my primary motivation for writing this short review is that, in the laboratory, visual working memory – here defined as the retention and manipulation of detailed visual information, such as shape and colour – is often studied as a purely visual function (Figure 1(a), route III).

Results

Conclusion