Limitations of pure encoding capacity accounts of visual short-term memory phenomena: Reply to Bundesen (2018)

Abstract

In his commentary, Bundesen (2018) argued that limited encoding capacity can account for the near-equivalent set size effects on performance under conditions of simultaneous and sequential presentation reported by Sewell, Lilburn, and Smith (2014). While we agree that limited encoding capacity could, in principle, account for this equivalency, we argue that such an account rests on a number of fortuitous temporal coincidences. In particular, we note that pure encoding capacity limitations appear ill equipped to explain near-equivalent simultaneous-sequential performance across a range of stimulus exposure durations, set sizes, and with stimuli with quite different attentional demands.