The linear impact of visual working memory load on visual awareness: Evidence from motion-induced blindness

Jiahan Yu; Yiling Zhou; Yingtao Fu; Ci Wang; Jifan Zhou; Mowei Shen; Hui Chen

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2023.103520

The linear impact of visual working memory load on visual awareness: Evidence from motion-induced blindness

Conscious Cogn. 2023 May:111:103520. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103520. Epub 2023 Apr 24.

Authors

Jiahan Yu¹, Yiling Zhou², Yingtao Fu², Ci Wang², Jifan Zhou³, Mowei Shen⁴, Hui Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, China; Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
² Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
³ Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China. Electronic address: jifanzhou@zju.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China. Electronic address: mwshen@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China; Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, USA. Electronic address: chenhui@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 37100001
DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103520

Abstract

Despite the close relationship between visual working memory (VWM) and visual awareness, the question of how these two constructs interact with each other is still under debate. The current study aimed to further address this issue by investigating whether and how visual awareness is influenced by VWM load. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to perform a motion-induced blindness (MIB) task while simultaneously memorizing different numbers of items in VWM. The results indicated that the latency of MIB was prolonged gradually as the VWM load increased, revealing a linear trend in the modulation effect of VWM load on visual awareness. Experiments 2 and 3 tested the other potential explanations and validated the initial finding by confirming that VWM load was indeed responsible for the observed effect on visual awareness. These findings have important implications for a better understanding of the relationship between VWM and visual awareness.

Keywords: Motion-induced blindness; Visual awareness; Visual working memory load.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Memory, Short-Term*
Visual Perception*