The role of global layout in visual short-term memory

Abstract

Recent research suggests that each object in memory is encoded relative to the other objects in memory. Specifically, the spatial configuration of the entire collection appears to play an important role in remembering any of the individual objects. However, the nature of the configural representation has not been explored. Here we identify a quantifiable dimension of spatial configuration, called regularity of connectedness, which captures an important component of the representation of spatial configuration in memory. Thus, the present study goes beyond demonstrating that spatial configuration is encoded, moving us towards understanding how and potentially why it is encoded in memory.