Resource or slot model in visual working memory: Are they different?

Abstract

When studying the working memory (WM), the slot model and the resource model are two main theories used to describe how information retention occurs. The slot model shows that WM capacity consists of a certain number of predefined slots available for information storage. This theory explains that there is a binary condition during information recall in which information is either wholly maintained within a slot or forgotten. The resource model gives a resolution-based approach defining a continuous resource able to be distributed among an unlimited number of items in the WM capacity. With newer hybrid models suggesting that WM may not strictly conform to one model, this study aimed to understand the relationship between the original models. By implementing correlational assessments of subjects performances in two different psychophysics tasks (analog recall paradigm with sequential bar presentation and delayed match-to-sample task (DMS) with checkerboard stimuli which are representative for resource and slot models, respectively), our study revealed significant correlations between WM performance (measured by DMS tasks) with recall error, precision, and sources of error (measured by sequential paradigm). Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of considering both models in understanding WM processes, shedding light on the debate between slot and resource models by demonstrating overlap in elements of both models.