Two experiments are reported that investigate recent claims that a visual memory and a visual image access different mechanisms within working memory and are differentially susceptible to interference. Experiment 1 demonstrates that when participants are required to hold the visual memory in consciousness, the representation is liable to interference in the same way as a visual image. Experiment 2 strengthens this interpretation by showing that the interference is specifically visual rather than general. Additionally, the experiments argue that visual noise interference is front loaded and does not require access to long-term memory structures prior to causing disruption.
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