Memory for where, but not what, is used during visual search

Abstract

Although the role of memory in visual search is debatable, most researchers agree with a limited-capacity model of memory in visual search. The authors demonstrate the role of memory by replicating previous findings showing that visual search is biased away from old items (previously examined items) and toward new items (nonexamined items). Furthermore, the authors examined the type of memory representations used to bias search by changing an item's individuating feature or location during search. Changing the individuating feature of an item did not disrupt normal search biases. However, when the location of an item changed, normal search biases were disrupted. These results suggest that memory used in visual search is based on items' locations rather than their identity.