Memory for action: a functional view of selection in visual working memory

Perception is shaped by actions, which determine the allocation of selective attention across the visual field. Here, we review evidence that maintenance in visual working memory is similarly influenced by actions (eye or hand movements), planned and executed well after encoding: Representations tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inVisual cognition Vol. 28; no. 5-8; pp. 388 - 400
Main Authors Heuer, Anna, Ohl, Sven, Rolfs, Martin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hove Routledge 13.09.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
action planning
Attention
eye movements
hand movements
Memory
Short term memory
Visual field
Visual perception
visual working memory
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Summary:Perception is shaped by actions, which determine the allocation of selective attention across the visual field. Here, we review evidence that maintenance in visual working memory is similarly influenced by actions (eye or hand movements), planned and executed well after encoding: Representations that are relevant for an upcoming action - because they spatially correspond to the action goal or because they are defined along action-related feature dimensions - are automatically prioritised over action-irrelevant representations and held in a stable state. We summarise what is known about specific characteristics and mechanisms of selection-for-action in working memory, such as its temporal dynamics and spatial specificity, and delineate open questions. This newly-burgeoning area of research promotes a more functional perspective on visual working memory that emphasizes its role in action control.
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ISSN:1350-6285
1464-0716
DOI:10.1080/13506285.2020.1764156