Visual long-term memory has the same limit on fidelity as visual working memory
Brady, Konkle, Gill, Oliva & Alvarez
Visual long-term memory can store thousands of objects with surprising visual detail,
but just how detailed are these representations and how can we quantify this fidelity?
Using the property of color as a case study, we estimated the precision of visual
information in long-term memory, and compared this to the precision of the same information
in working memory. Observers were shown real-world objects in a random color, and then
ask to recall the color after a delay. We quantified two parameters of performance: the
variability of internal representations of color (fidelity) and the probability of forgetting
an object's color altogether. Surprisingly, the data show that the fidelity of color
information in long-term memory was comparable to the asymptotic precision of working
memory. These results suggest that a common limit may constrain both long-term memory
and working memory, such as a bound on the fidelity required to retrieve memory
representations.
Brady, T.F., Konkle, T., Gill, J., Oliva, A., & Alvarez, G. A. (2013). Visual long-term memory has the same limit on fidelity as visual working memory. Psychological Science, 24 (6), 981-990.