Contrary to previous assumptions, visual short-term memory is not merely based on one kind of information about an object, such as only its colour or only its name. Rather, several types of information can be retained simultaneously in short-term memory. Using complex EEG analyses and deep neural networks, researchers at Beijing Normal University and Ruhr-Universität Bochum have discovered that short-term memory is more complex than previously assumed. The team describes their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS for short, published online on 7 December 2020.
For the study, Dr. Hui Zhang, Rebekka Heinen and Professor Nikolai Axmacher from the Department of Neuropsychology collaborated with the team headed by Jing Liu and Professor Gui Xue from Beijing Normal University.
The banana in short-term memory
Visual short-term memory helps us…
