The ability to accurately retain the binding between the features of different objects is a critical element of visual working memory. The underlying mechanism can be elucidated by analyzing correlations of response errors in dual-report experiments, in which participants have to report two features of a single item from a previously viewed stimulus array. Results from separate previous studies using different cueing conditions have indicated that location takes a privileged role in mediating binding between other features, in that largely independent response errors have been observed when location was used as a cue, but errors were highly correlated when location was one of the reported features. Earlier results from change detection tasks likewise support such a special role of location, but they also suggest that this role is substantially reduced for longer retention intervals in favor of object-based representation. In the present study, we replicated the findings of previous dual-report tasks with different cueing conditions, using matched stimuli and procedures. Moreover, we show that the observed patterns of error correlations remain qualitatively unchanged with longer retention intervals. Fits with neural population models demonstrate that the behavioral results at long, as well as short, delays are best explained by memory representations in independent feature maps, in which an item's features are bound to each other only via their shared location.

中文翻译：

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视觉工作记忆中的特征绑定机制在长时间延迟下是稳定的。

准确保留不同对象特征之间的绑定的能力是视觉工作记忆的关键要素。可以通过分析双重报告实验中响应错误的相关性来阐明潜在机制，其中参与者必须从先前查看的刺激阵列中报告单个项目的两个特征。先前使用不同提示条件的单独研究的结果表明，位置在调解其他特征之间的绑定方面发挥着特殊作用，因为当位置用作提示时，观察到了很大程度上独立的响应错误，但当位置是一个时，错误高度相关报告的功能。变化检测任务的早期结果同样支持位置的这种特殊作用，但他们还建议，对于更长的保留间隔，这一角色会大大减少，有利于基于对象的表示。在本研究中，我们使用匹配的刺激和程序复制了先前具有不同提示条件的双重报告任务的结果。此外，我们表明，观察到的误差相关模式在保留时间较长的情况下保持质量不变。与神经群体模型的拟合表明，长期和短期延迟的行为结果最好通过独立特征图中的记忆表示来解释，其中项目的特征仅通过它们的共享位置相互绑定。我们使用匹配的刺激和程序复制了先前具有不同提示条件的双重报告任务的结果。此外，我们表明，观察到的误差相关模式在保留时间较长的情况下保持质量不变。与神经群体模型的拟合表明，长期和短期延迟的行为结果最好通过独立特征图中的记忆表示来解释，其中项目的特征仅通过它们的共享位置相互绑定。我们使用匹配的刺激和程序复制了先前具有不同提示条件的双重报告任务的结果。此外，我们表明，观察到的误差相关模式在保留时间较长的情况下保持质量不变。与神经群体模型的拟合表明，长期和短期延迟的行为结果最好通过独立特征图中的记忆表示来解释，其中项目的特征仅通过它们的共享位置相互绑定。