Abstract: Verbal overshadowing effect refers to the surprising effect whereby additional verbal information about a visual stimulus hinders its subsequent recognition. The factors which affected the VOE include temporal factors, verbalization factors, post verbalization factors, recognition test, individual differences and so on. Three major theoretical explanations existed for verbal overshadowing effect were introduced: recoding interference theory, transfer inappropriate processing shift, the theory of criterion shifts. At the same time some advices were given for further researches

Key words: verbal overshadowing effect, verbal description, target identification