PNAS: In visual memory, size matters

Sharon Gilaie-Dotan, PhD, from Bar-Ilan University's School of Optometry and Visual Sciences and Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Centre, has led a new study that sought to determine how large the Whether images are easier to remember than small images

The findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the first to show that, in natural vision, visual memory of images is affected by the size of the image on the retina

Shaimaa Masarwa and Olga Kreichman, PhD students in Dr.

182 subjects participated in 7 different experiments

To understand that this result was determined by size rather than amount of detail, the researchers also examined whether large, blurred images inscribed better than sharp, small images (large and small images contain the same amount of detail) imprinted in memory

They also found that most images were remembered better when presented at large sizes than when presented at small sizes

"In areas of the brain that represent retinal images, more resources will be devoted to processing large images than small ones, as processing is determined by the area of ​​the retina that is stimulated by the image," Dr.

The study was conducted in young adults aged 18-40, an age group with fully developed vision but not yet starting to age

While the study only examined still images, the findings could have important implications for the "screen generation", where much of the information is consumed on small electronic devices

Journal Reference :

1. Shaimaa Masarwa, Olga Kreichman, Sharon Gilaie-Dotan.