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Recognition Decisions From Visual Working Memory Are Mediated by Continuous Latent Strengths
Author(s) -
Ricker Timothy J.,
Thiele Jonathan E.,
Swagman April R.,
Rouder Jeffrey N.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cognitive science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.498
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1551-6709
pISSN - 0364-0213
DOI - 10.1111/cogs.12436
Subject(s) - working memory , cognitive psychology , computer science , process (computing) , matching (statistics) , cognition , visual memory , information processing , eyewitness memory , information processing theory , psychology , statistics , recall , mathematics , neuroscience , operating system
Making recognition decisions often requires us to reference the contents of working memory, the information available for ongoing cognitive processing. As such, understanding how recognition decisions are made when based on the contents of working memory is of critical importance. In this work we examine whether recognition decisions based on the contents of visual working memory follow a continuous decision process of graded information about the correct choice or a discrete decision process reflecting only knowing and guessing. We find a clear pattern in favor of a continuous latent strength model of visual working memory–based decision making, supporting the notion that visual recognition decision processes are impacted by the degree of matching between the contents of working memory and the choices given. Relation to relevant findings and the implications for human information processing more generally are discussed.