Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory
Visual working memory and verbal storage are often investigated independently of one another. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that naming visual stimuli can provide an advantage in performance during visual working memory tasks. On the other hand, there is also evidence that labeling co...
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| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://account.journalofcognition.org/index.php/up-j-jc/article/view/406 |
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| author | Joana Pereira Seabra Vivien Chopurian Alessandra S. Souza Thomas B. Christophel |
| author_facet | Joana Pereira Seabra Vivien Chopurian Alessandra S. Souza Thomas B. Christophel |
| author_sort | Joana Pereira Seabra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Visual working memory and verbal storage are often investigated independently of one another. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that naming visual stimuli can provide an advantage in performance during visual working memory tasks. On the other hand, there is also evidence that labeling could lead to biases in recall. Here, we present an exploratory investigation of verbal labels associated with the memorization of simple visuo-spatial stimuli, and how the use of these labels informs recall behavior of the same stimuli in a separate working memory task. English-speaking participants performed a working memory task with orientation and location stimuli, followed by a separate naming task featuring the same stimuli. We found a diverse set of labels employed frequently and with a consistent distribution across stimulus types, the stimulus space, and among participants. The use of individual spatial words, predicted class 1 cardinal biases in memory (i.e. the observation that cardinal stimuli are more accurately recalled than non-cardinal ones). Conversely, words expressing uncertainty (e.g. ‘slightly’, ‘near’) predicted class 2 cardinal bias (i.e. recall biases away from the cardinal planes). This relationship between word use and recall biases is consistent with shared representational resources that are used for both visuo-spatial and verbal working memory. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-42ce8f7dbf054f628f8b40999b38e404 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2514-4820 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-42ce8f7dbf054f628f8b40999b38e4042025-02-11T05:36:32ZengUbiquity PressJournal of Cognition2514-48202025-01-01812210.5334/joc.406405Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working MemoryJoana Pereira Seabra0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5868-3321Vivien Chopurian1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5446-7798Alessandra S. Souza2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1057-8426Thomas B. Christophel3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3506-0850Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, BerlinDepartment of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, BerlinFaculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of PortoDepartment of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of the Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, BerlinVisual working memory and verbal storage are often investigated independently of one another. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that naming visual stimuli can provide an advantage in performance during visual working memory tasks. On the other hand, there is also evidence that labeling could lead to biases in recall. Here, we present an exploratory investigation of verbal labels associated with the memorization of simple visuo-spatial stimuli, and how the use of these labels informs recall behavior of the same stimuli in a separate working memory task. English-speaking participants performed a working memory task with orientation and location stimuli, followed by a separate naming task featuring the same stimuli. We found a diverse set of labels employed frequently and with a consistent distribution across stimulus types, the stimulus space, and among participants. The use of individual spatial words, predicted class 1 cardinal biases in memory (i.e. the observation that cardinal stimuli are more accurately recalled than non-cardinal ones). Conversely, words expressing uncertainty (e.g. ‘slightly’, ‘near’) predicted class 2 cardinal bias (i.e. recall biases away from the cardinal planes). This relationship between word use and recall biases is consistent with shared representational resources that are used for both visuo-spatial and verbal working memory.https://account.journalofcognition.org/index.php/up-j-jc/article/view/406categorizationworking memoryverbal labelingvisuo-spatial stimuli |
| spellingShingle | Joana Pereira Seabra Vivien Chopurian Alessandra S. Souza Thomas B. Christophel Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Journal of Cognition categorization working memory verbal labeling visuo-spatial stimuli |
| title | Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory |
| title_full | Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory |
| title_fullStr | Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory |
| title_short | Verbal Encoding Strategies in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory |
| title_sort | verbal encoding strategies in visuo spatial working memory |
| topic | categorization working memory verbal labeling visuo-spatial stimuli |
| url | https://account.journalofcognition.org/index.php/up-j-jc/article/view/406 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joanapereiraseabra verbalencodingstrategiesinvisuospatialworkingmemory AT vivienchopurian verbalencodingstrategiesinvisuospatialworkingmemory AT alessandrassouza verbalencodingstrategiesinvisuospatialworkingmemory AT thomasbchristophel verbalencodingstrategiesinvisuospatialworkingmemory |