Visual working memory (VWM) content disrupts visual search performance when there is a singleton in the search array that is similar to the content in VWM, even when this singleton is task irrelevant. Typically, the memory-similar singleton captures attention, which results in slower search performance for memory-similar conditions compared to conditions where memory-similar content is absent. Recently, it has also been shown that VWM content may be affected when memory-similar stimuli are processed. Specifically, it appears that VWM representations bias toward memory-similar information that is processed but not memory-dissimilar information. Here, we test whether the bias caused by processing memory-similar information is an active interference process (growing with engagement with the memory-similar stimuli) or a passive interference process (indifferent to the engagement with memory-similar stimuli). To test this, observers were tasked with memorizing a single color followed by a search task. The search task was either easy or difficult, and the search items could either be memory-similar or memory-dissimilar. Critically, the target in the search task was defined by its shape, so the color of the search items was irrelevant to the search task. At the end of each trial, participants reported the color in memory using a continuous report color wheel. The results showed that VWM representations drifted towards the irrelevant color of the search items in the memory-similar conditions, and this effect was larger in the difficult search condition. The results provide evidence that VWM representations receive active interference from processing memory-similar stimuli.

当搜索数组中存在一个与VWM中的内容相似的单例时，即使该单例与任务无关，视觉工作记忆（VWM）内容也会破坏视觉搜索性能。通常，类似内存的单例会引起人们的注意，与缺少类似内存内容的条件相比，这会导致类似内存条件的搜索性能降低。最近，还显示出当处理类似记忆的刺激时，VWM的内容可能会受到影响。具体来说，似乎VWM表示偏向于处理的内存相似信息，而不偏向于内存相似信息。这里，我们测试由处理记忆相似信息引起的偏差是主动干扰过程（随着与记忆相似刺激的参与而增长）还是被动干扰过程（与与记忆相似刺激的参与无关）。为了测试这一点，观察员的任务是先记住一种颜色，然后再进行搜索。搜索任务是容易的，也可能是困难的，搜索项可能是相似的或相似的。至关重要的是，搜索任务中的目标是由其形状定义的，因此搜索项目的颜色与搜索任务无关。在每个试验结束时，参与者使用连续报告色轮报告记忆中的颜色。结果表明，在记忆相似的情况下，VWM表示向不相关的搜索项颜色漂移，在困难的搜索条件下效果更大。结果提供了证据，表明VWM表示受到处理类似记忆的刺激的积极干扰。