Spatial working memory is the ability to
remember a location where something is perceived and the ability to recall a
series of visited locations. During the last few decades, a great deal of
research has specifically examined spatial working memory. A commonly used task
to investigate spatial working memory is the Corsi blocks task, which is used
originally as a neuropsychological assessment and which is now used also in
empirical studies.
This study was
designed to investigate whether fixation on the items to be remembered provided
a beneficial effect on spatial working memory. Twenty-four
undergraduate and graduate students (12 men, 12 women; M age = 21.5 yr., SD =
1.3, range = 18 - 24) volunteered to participate in the experiment. All had
normal or corrected-to-normal vision. For the experiment, participants
performed a computerized spatial working memory task based on the Corsi blocks
task. Participants were tested individually in a private room. After the
nine-point calibration procedure, the memory task was initiated. Participants
were asked to recall a sequence of seven squares in the forward or the backward
order. Participants were instructed to respond as quickly and accurately as
possible. Participants’ responses in the memory task were classified into any
one of the three categories: correct recall, location error, or order error. Eye
movements scored in the memory task were analyzed for the fixation duration.
The results showed that the benefit by fixation was limited on
serial position 6 for backward recall, where participants were able to recall immediately.
No benefit was apparent by fixation for forward recall. Rather, for backward
recall, recall performance was impaired at serial positions 1 and 3, or the
latter part of recall, by requiring fixation on each target. Examination of
details of the impairment revealed that order errors were increased.
In sum, in this study, a beneficial effect on recall performance by
fixation on the items to be remembered was shown to a limited degree. However,
if the methodological problem is eliminated, then the benefit of fixation can
be demonstrated. Furthermore, the results suggest that some memory processes
which proceed without fixation on the items being presented are relied upon to
a greater degree for backward recall.
Article by Yuhei Oi, et al, from Japan.
Full access: http://t.cn/EcmRUPF
Image by thefeverhead, from Flickr-cc.
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