Serial Dependence across Perception, Attention, and Memory

Abstract

Information that has been recently perceived or remembered can bias current processing. This has been viewed as both a corrupting (e.g., proactive interference in short-term memory) and stabilizing (e.g., serial dependence in perception) phenomenon. We hypothesize that this bias is a generally adaptive aspect of brain function that leads to occasionally maladaptive outcomes.

Keywords: proactive interference; serial dependence; working memory.

Figure 1. Example task schematics and representative results demonstrating serial dependence

(A) In a recent-probes recognition test for verbal material, error rate is higher for non-match items that were presented in the previous trial memory set (trial n-1). (B) In a change-detection test for visual features, error rate is higher for non-match items that were presented on the previous trial, especially when the non-match item was previously presented at the same spatial location as the current test probe. (C) In an oculomotor delayed-response test for spatial locations, eye movement responses are pulled toward the previous trial’s remembered location. This bias is modulated by the distance between the current and previous location and by the length of the current trial’s inter-stimulus delay interval (ISI). In the example shown here, the location on the previous trial was 60° clockwise from the current location, and the eye movement is thus biased in the clockwise direction by 15° (on long delay trials, purple dot) or 5° (on short delay trials, green dot). (D) In a continuous-report test for orientations, orientation judgments are biased toward the orientation presented on the previous trial. This bias is modulated by the distance between the current and previous orientation and only occurs for attended (versus unattended) orientations. In the example shown here, the orientation on the previous trial was 30° clockwise from the current orientation, and the orientation judgement is thus biased in the clockwise direction by 10° (orange dot). (E) In a continuous-report test for face identity, face judgements are biased towards the identity of the face presented on the previous trial. This bias is modulated by the number of morph steps (in face-morph space) between the current and previous face.