Memory recall errors reflect interacting sensory and mnemonic representations

Abstract

Visual working memory (WM) enables the maintenance of information that is no longer present in the environment. Some accounts propose that WM is supported by abstract representations so that new sensory inputs do not interfere with existing memories. Others posit that early sensory representations are recruited to maintain memory precision, potentially at the cost of interference caused by new inputs. Here we tested these accounts using an orientation recall task to determine whether memory errors reflect interacting representations of sensory and mnemonic information. We found that adding noise to the memoranda and presenting feature-neutral distractors independently increased recall errors. However, distractors that shared a feature with remembered stimuli led to systematic attractive biases such that memory errors were pulled toward the orientation of the distractor. The magnitude of this bias was modulated by both stimulus noise and whether the distractor was behaviorally relevant. Our results demonstrate that while working memory can utilize abstract representations, it remains susceptible to feature-specific sensory interference, suggesting partial reliance on sensory-like codes.