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The Resource Memory for recent words : a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?, by Noelle Wood

Memory for recent words : a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?, by Noelle Wood

Creator
Summary
People tend to remember recent items in a series better than earlier ones, a finding known as the recency effect. We conducted three experiments to examine the basis of this effect in the free recall of word lists. When the final word in a list is followed by a 15-20s period in which subjects perform a distractor task before they recall the list, the recency effect is eliminated (e.g., Glanzer & Cunitz, 1966). The traditional explanation for this result has been that performance of the distractor task displaces the most recent items in a short-term memory store, thereby eliminating any advantage in memory for the final few list items. However, we found that if we blocked cumulative rehearsal of list items during list presentation, by requiring performance of a list-concurrent distractor task, a significant recency effect resulted despite the subsequent distractor-filled retention interval. This finding was consistent across three experiments in which we varied the type of distractor task performed, and occurred regardless of whether the retention-interval distractor task was the same as or different from that performed during list presentation. We proposed a modified short-term store account of this newly discovered recency effect that emphasizes the importance of subjects' rehearsal strategies. The primary alternative account of recency effects, distinctiveness theory (e.g., Glenberg et. al., 1980; Glenberg, 1987), is unable to explain the recency effect in this procedure because it occurred in the absence of either temporal or contextual distinctiveness of the final list item. Our findings suggest that the long-term distinctiveness of items in memory cannot be the sole source of recency effects
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
vi, 68 leaves
Note
  • Typescript
  • Vita
Instance
Label
Memory for recent words : a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?
Title
Memory for recent words
Title remainder
a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?
Statement of responsibility
by Noelle Wood
Creator
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
People tend to remember recent items in a series better than earlier ones, a finding known as the recency effect. We conducted three experiments to examine the basis of this effect in the free recall of word lists. When the final word in a list is followed by a 15-20s period in which subjects perform a distractor task before they recall the list, the recency effect is eliminated (e.g., Glanzer & Cunitz, 1966). The traditional explanation for this result has been that performance of the distractor task displaces the most recent items in a short-term memory store, thereby eliminating any advantage in memory for the final few list items. However, we found that if we blocked cumulative rehearsal of list items during list presentation, by requiring performance of a list-concurrent distractor task, a significant recency effect resulted despite the subsequent distractor-filled retention interval. This finding was consistent across three experiments in which we varied the type of distractor task performed, and occurred regardless of whether the retention-interval distractor task was the same as or different from that performed during list presentation. We proposed a modified short-term store account of this newly discovered recency effect that emphasizes the importance of subjects' rehearsal strategies. The primary alternative account of recency effects, distinctiveness theory (e.g., Glenberg et. al., 1980; Glenberg, 1987), is unable to explain the recency effect in this procedure because it occurred in the absence of either temporal or contextual distinctiveness of the final list item. Our findings suggest that the long-term distinctiveness of items in memory cannot be the sole source of recency effects
Additional physical form
Also available on the Internet.
Cataloging source
MUU
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1968-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Wood, Noelle L.
Degree
Ph. D.
Dissertation year
1996.
Government publication
government publication of a state province territory dependency etc
Granting institution
University of Missouri-Columbia
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
no index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Memory
  • Recollection (Psychology)
Target audience
specialized
Label
Memory for recent words : a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?, by Noelle Wood
Instantiates
Publication
Note
  • Typescript
  • Vita
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64)
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
37304449
Dimensions
29 cm
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
vi, 68 leaves
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
Specific material designation
remote
Label
Memory for recent words : a matter of short-term memory storage or long-term distinctiveness?, by Noelle Wood
Publication
Note
  • Typescript
  • Vita
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64)
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Control code
37304449
Dimensions
29 cm
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
vi, 68 leaves
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
Specific material designation
remote

Subject

Genre

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