A game controller broken down into its parts, illustrating how a meaningful object is represented, next to an unfamiliar device

Meaningfulness benefit in visual working memory

High-level visual conceptual information can expand the representational dimensions of visual working memory contents, allowing for expanded capacity.

Related papers

  • Chung, Y. H., Jung, S. S., Brady, T. F., & Störmer, V. S. (2026). Semantic understanding underlies enhanced working memory for real-world objects. PsyArXiv. Paper Link
  • Chung, Y. H., Brady, T. F.*, & Störmer, V. S. (2024). Meaningfulness and familiarity expand visual working memory capacity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 33(5), 275–282. Paper Link
Two people recalling the color of a red shirt: a precise memory when tied to a meaningful object, a blurry one when not

Real objects can aid feature working memory

Hierarchical structure of visual working memory representation allows high-level object representations to scaffold associated low-level features, making the feature working memory representations more distinctive themselves.

Related papers

  • Chung, Y. H., Brady, T. F., & Störmer, V. S. (2026). Real-world objects scaffold feature working memory: Increased neural engagement when colors are remembered as part of meaningful objects. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 38(6), 1171–1184. Paper Link
  • Chung, Y. H., Brady, T. F., & Störmer, V. S. (2023). No fixed limit for storing simple visual features: Realistic objects provide an efficient scaffolding for holding features in mind. Psychological Science, 34(7), 784–793. Paper Link
A cycle between the brain and the eyes, illustrating visual perception

Visual perception

How the visual system builds and stabilizes our perception of the world — from the time course of perceiving spatial location to the distortions and adaptations that reveal how faces and objects are represented.

Related papers

  • Chung, Y. H., Anaya-Sosa, C. N., & Störmer, V. S. (2025). Testing location invariance of the flashed face distortion effect. Perception, 55(2), 159–177. Paper Link
  • Chung, Y. H., & Störmer, V. S. (2023). Unveiling the time course of visual stabilization through human electrophysiology. iScience, 26(6). Paper Link