How does visual memory work? What did you have for dinner 2 weeks ago? Chances are you could picture it for a while, but now that memory is gone. How does that process work? Does the memory slowly fade away, or is it wiped like writing off a whiteboard? Psychologists ran an experiment to determine how this visual working memory leaves us. In their experiment they showed participants 3 coloured squares flashed on a screen. Then, after 1, 4 or 10 seconds, the squares reappeared, except this time the colours were missing. The participants were asked to recall the colour of one particular square, not knowing in advance which square it would be. If short-term memory fades, then there should only be a slight difference in responses after the longer interval. If it is wiped, then the guesses should become quite random after some time, and that is exactly what happened. The guesses were very precise with the short time lag, becoming extremely random with the longer time lag, as if the memory was wiped like a file from a computer. But this is not true of all visual memories. More to come in the next article. Tony Ireland Evolve Optometry Shop G03, Village Centre, Batemans Bay | 4472 8080 www.evolveoptometry.com.au evolve OPTOMETRY 58078 How does visual memory work ? What did you have for dinner 2 weeks ago ? Chances are you could picture it for a while , but now that memory is gone . How does that process work ? Does the memory slowly fade away , or is it wiped like writing off a whiteboard ? Psychologists ran an experiment to determine how this visual working memory leaves us . In their experiment they showed participants 3 coloured squares flashed on a screen . Then , after 1 , 4 or 10 seconds , the squares reappeared , except this time the colours were missing . The participants were asked to recall the colour of one particular square , not knowing in advance which square it would be . If short - term memory fades , then there should only be a slight difference in responses after the longer interval . If it is wiped , then the guesses should become quite random after some time , and that is exactly what happened . The guesses were very precise with the short time lag , becoming extremely random with the longer time lag , as if the memory was wiped like a file from a computer . But this is not true of all visual memories . More to come in the next article . Tony Ireland Evolve Optometry Shop G03 , Village Centre , Batemans Bay | 4472 8080 www.evolveoptometry.com.au evolve OPTOMETRY 58078