Evaluating Working Memory as a Buffer for Visual Search

This study explores the relationship between working memory and attention during visual search tasks, focusing on how time constraints affect the encoding of visual information into working memory. The research is based on the premise that under time pressure, participants may be more likely to encode the identity of search array items into working memory to continue processing after the visual stimuli are no longer visible. Experiment 1 and 2 used a surprise trial method to test memory for target identity with long and short presentation times. Despite higher location accuracy with longer viewing, there was no significant difference in surprise identity test accuracy between conditions. To get a more reliable measurement of working memory, Experiment 3 introduced a priming task to measure memory strength indirectly but found no priming effect. Overall, these three experiments did not provide strong evidence to support or negate the hypothesis that short presentation time might enhance working memory strength and thus did not support the possibility of using working memory to conduct visual search on briefly presented arrays. Suggestions on future design of this study interest are provided.