1. SNKYO A Study on Adult Working Memory Nate R. and Arin T.

2. Background  Feigenson, Carey, and Hauser 2002  Study involving crackers – suggested that infants cannot keep track of more than 3 objects in a chunk.  Each bucket represents a unit of memory or a chunk. In this case, chunks are delineated by the physical space between the buckets. X

3.  Feigenson & Halberda 2004  Showed that WM is not limited to tracking 3 objects per se but 3 chunks of representation, each of which may contain up to 3 objects.  Space can be the divider of chunks. Suggests that instead of representing each individual, WM groups objects into smaller and more manageable chunks…  Units in WM can be individuals or chunks… but what about large sets?  Feigenson 2008  In WM, what about larger number of things. How many boys and girls are in the lecture room?  Placed one type, 2 type, 3 types and 4 types of objects in two buckets Background

4. Sets in WM

6. Differ in size, color, texture, shape, and category dimensions Overlap in shape and size dimensions. Overcome capacity limits? What if the four objects have overlapping attributes- size and shape? In other words, each item is a member of more than one “set”

7. 2X2 Overlapping Sets  Hypothesis  By taking advantage of overlaps among object attributes, WM efficiently keeps track of more than 3 sets at the same time.  Two attributes examined here are size and shape  Four individual objects – two blocks and two balls, each of which can be either large or small in size

8. Methods Labeling Condition: As objects are dropped in a bucket, the subject says either the shape or size of each object Labeling Condition: As objects are dropped in a bucket, the subject says either the shape or size of each object Probed Dimension: Subject is asked which bucket has more objects of one shape or size Probed Dimension: Subject is asked which bucket has more objects of one shape or size Label: Block/Ball Probe: Block/Ball Label: Big/Small Probe: Block/Ball Label: Block/Ball Probe: Big/Small Label: Big/Small Probe: Big/Small ShapeSize Shape

9. Results  Only the answer to the first question counts to eliminate bias  Congruent N=7 Incongruent N=4