ABSTRACT
An important strategy of our visual system to cope with limited memory capacity is to summarize and organize complex information as a concise yet informative representation. Ensemble representations are the statistical summaries (e.g., average, variability, and the shape of distribution) of visual scenes ranging from low-level visual features to higher-order abstract information. Ensemble representations organize visual memory efficiently in three different ways. First, they improve the quality of stored information in memory by canceling out noise or reducing redundant information. Second, they provide a hierarchical structure of a scene representation to organize it efficiently. Finally, they are useful sources for the visual system to anticipate forthcoming inputs, guide attention, and maintain visual stability.
