Visual search and memory under degraded and masked presentation

Abstract

Each of 4 Ss was shown brief flashes of 4 letters. They were required on some trials to name as many as they could (memory); on others they were told 1 letter before the flash and asked if the letter had been among the 4 in the stimulus (search). Both tasks were tested under 2 conditions: degraded, in which the duration of the stimulus was varied from 10-300 msec.; and masked, in which the duration was held constant but visual noise followed after a 0-140 msec. delay. Masking and degrading affected the relative performance in the 2 tasks identically, although after correction for chance, search accuracy slightly exceeded memory accuracy. To search or to recall brief visual displays apparently involves similar information-processing mechanisms, most likely a serial item-by-item order. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)