Sleep quality affects visual working memory precision in college students: a large-scale analysis based on mobile phone data collection
摘要
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of sleep quality on the representation of visual working memory among college students, as well as to elucidate potential intermediate mechanisms using a large sample dataset. Across two studies, participants utilized a WeChat applet to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and color recall tasks, which served to assess their sleep quality, visual working memory representation (quantity and precision), and mobile phone usage duration. Study 1 revealed that the sleep quality of college students positively correlated with the precision of their visual working memory when analyzed through a large sample. Building on this, Study 2 identified that increased mobile phone usage time negatively moderated the relationship between sleep quality and the precision of visual working memory. These findings indicate that students with higher sleep quality exhibit greater precision in visual working memory, while prolonged mobile phone use may weaken the effect of sleep quality on memory precision. This study offers actionable recommendations for improving working memory among students.