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Temporal characteristics of the effects of visual pattern redundancy on encoding and storage processes: evidence from rapid serial visual presentation

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Abstract

Pattern redundancy is a key concept for representing the amount of internal mental load (encoding efficiency) needed for pattern perception/recognition. The present study investigated how pattern redundancy influences encoding and memory processes in the visual system using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. With RSVP, it is well known that participants often fail to detect repetitions of words (repetition blindness, RB). We used this phenomenon as an index of the encoding and storage of visual patterns. In three experiments, we presented patterns with higher and lower redundancy, as defined by Garner’s equivalent set size (ESS). The results showed that RB occurred more frequently for higher redundancy patterns when the temporal distance between the targets was less than 500 ms; this tendency was reversed with longer temporal distances of over 500 ms. Our results suggest that pattern redundancy modulates both the early encoding and subsequent memory processes of a representation.

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Notes

  1. Our preliminary observations confirmed that the ESS patterns were difficult to perceive as grouped patterns but instead appeared as independently flashed dots at a foveal location in RSVP. Thus, we presented the patterns at a para-foveal location.

  2. Visual persistence might be caused by the presentation of white patterns on a black background, which would influence the results of Experiments 1 and 2. To exclude this possibility, we inverted the stimulus-background color assignments in Experiment 3.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Yoiti Suzuki for his valuable comments. This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research to Y.S. (No. 19001004) and by a JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Research Fellowship for Young Scientists to J.T. (No. 22-8068).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Arts and Letters Tohoku University, 27-1 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8576, Japan

    Junichi Takahashi & Jiro Gyoba

  2. Department of Psychology, Rikkyo University, 1-2-26 Kitano, Niiza, Saitama, 352-8558, Japan

    Souta Hidaka

  3. Department of Information and Electronic Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-8585, Japan

    Wataru Teramoto

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  1. Junichi Takahashi
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  2. Souta Hidaka
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  3. Wataru Teramoto
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  4. Jiro Gyoba
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Correspondence to Junichi Takahashi.

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Takahashi, J., Hidaka, S., Teramoto, W. et al. Temporal characteristics of the effects of visual pattern redundancy on encoding and storage processes: evidence from rapid serial visual presentation. Psychological Research 77, 687–697 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-012-0474-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-012-0474-4

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