A game controller broken down into its parts, illustrating how a meaningful object is represented, next to an unfamiliar device Simple color stimuli versus real-world objects, and how each occupies the representational space of visual working memory

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 A car decomposed into its parts and features, illustrating the hierarchical structure of an object representation

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