Increased Working Memory Capacity in 3D Displays
Dawn Sarno
Abstract: The extent to which depth information engenders benefits to attentional processing is inconsistent across a variety of tasks (e.g., visual search, multiple-object tracking, working memory). One factor that may underlie disparate findings regarding depth is working memory load. However, no previous research has explored how working memory load may determine the benefit of depth information. This talk will detail two experiments that explore how the utilization of depth information varies as a function of working memory load and individual capacity. Based on the previous literature, we hypothesized that only when the working memory load of the display exceeded capacity would we see the benefit of depth information. Both experiments utilized a change detection paradigm to manipulate working memory load demands. Experiment 1 compared the benefit of multiple depths with a single-depth plane and two-depth planes condition. The results from the Experiment 1 indicated if multiple depth planes improved performance. Experiment 2 was conducted in order to see if depth benefits may be determined by the distribution of items across depth planes. Overall, the results provide insight into the value of designing and utilizing multidimensional displays.
Biography: Dawn received her B.S. in Psychology from Bridgewater State University in 2015. She is currently a 3rd year graduate student in the Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology PhD program in the Applied Cognition and Aging Lab. Her research interests generally focus on applied visual cognition, with specific interests in pupillary correlates of attention, multidimensional displays, and cyber-security threats across the lifespan.
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