The role of spatial memory in retaining items while impairing the ability to integrate locations

This study used real-life images as stimuli, and employed a visuospatial working memory paradigm to investigate the effects of the “life-like effect” on three types of memory. Results from Experiment 1 showed that individuals had better recall of images of living objects when they were remembered as individual items. However, their ability to remember the associations between these items and their locations was poorer. There were no significant differences in performance when it came to remembering locations alone. This confirms the instability of the life-like effect and its potential negative consequences in certain situations. Two sub-experiments in Experiment 2 further explored the influence of contextual factors. The results indicated that the life-like effect varied depending on the type of context in which the stimuli were presented…