Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) has been traditionally defined as a system of limited capacity that allows the maintenance and manipulation of visual and spatial information. However, some perceptual features like Gestalt grouping could improve VSWM effectiveness. In two different experiments, we aimed to explore how the presence of elements grouped by color similarity affects the recognition of both, grouped and non-grouped items. We employed a change detection task in which the individual elements were presented sequentially over the time. In Experiment 1, a sequence of 6 items (colored circles) was presented within the same spatial location (200 ms each with an ISI of 100 ms and final retention interval of 1200 ms). In Experiment 2, items followed the same temporal sequence, but were randomly presented along 6 different spatial locations arranged in a circular configuration. Congruent with previous studies in which the items presentation is simultaneous, the recognition of grouped items was more accurate than the recognition of non-grouped items. In addition, the performance in the change detection task for non-grouped items was influenced by the presence/absence of grouped items within the same array, particularly when a non-grouped probe shared the color of a grouped item. The results will be discussed in relation to the exogenous attentional capture exerted by perceptual grouping and its influence on the encoding, maintenance and recovery of the non-grouped items in visual working memory.

XVI European Congress of Psychology