The Effects of Subsidiary Tasks on Memory Retrieval from Long and Short Lists

Burrows and Okada (1975) found that reaction time in an item recognition task was a monotonic but non-linear function of memory set size when set size varied from two to 20. A bilinear function with a steep slope for short lists and a shallow slope for long lists provided a good description of the data. Two experiments were conducted to determine whether the difference in slope between long and short lists arises from the extra attention devoted to, or rehearsal of, items within the span of immediate memory. Rehearsal of a prememorized list was discouraged by including a counting backwards task (Experiment I) or by presenting a second list of items that required processing (Experiment II). In neither experiment did the subsidiary task reduce the slope difference. It would appear that the slope difference is not a result of rehearsal of subspan lists.

[1]  Alan D. Baddeley,et al.  Retrieval rules and semantic coding in short-term memory. , 1972 .

[2]  B. Forrin,et al.  Recognition times for items in short-and long-term memory , 1969 .

[3]  R. Atkinson,et al.  The control of short-term memory. , 1971, Scientific American.

[4]  S. Sternberg.  Memory-scanning: mental processes revealed by reaction-time experiments. , 1969, American scientist.

[5]  N. Draper,et al.  Applied Regression Analysis , 1966 .

[6]  G. Mandler.  Organization and Memory , 1967 .

[7]  S. Sternberg.  High-Speed Scanning in Human Memory , 1966, Science.

[8]  Jacob Cohen,et al.  Quantitative Methods in Psychology , 1938, Nature.

[9]  Richard C. Atkinson,et al.  Factors influencing speed and accuracy of word recognition , 1973 .

[10]  George E. Brigg.  On the predictor variable for choice reaction time , 1974, Memory & cognition.

[11]  Richard C. Atkinson,et al.  Search and decision processes in recognition memory. , 1974 .

[12]  Ronald Okada,et al.  Parallel Scanning of Semantic and Formal Information. , 1973 .

[13]  M. Manosevitz.  High-Speed Scanning in Human Memory , .

[14]  Richard C. Atkinson,et al.  Recognition time for information stored in long-term memory , 1971 .

[15]  M I Posner,et al.  Short term memory systems in human information processing. , 1967, Acta psychologica.

[16]  J. P. Cavanagh.  Relation between the immediate memory span and the memory search rate. , 1972 .

[17]  R. Atkinson,et al.  Scanning for information in long- and short-term memory , 1973 .

[18]  L. R. Peterson,et al.  Short-term retention of individual verbal items. , 1959, Journal of experimental psychology.

[19]  D Burrows,et al.  Memory Retrieval from Long and Short Lists , 1975, Science.

[20]  W P Banks,et al.  Memory load and latency in recognition of pictures , 1974, Memory & cognition.

[21]  Richard C. Atkinson,et al.  Human Memory: A Proposed System and its Control Processes , 1968, Psychology of Learning and Motivation.

[22]  Elizabeth F. Loftus,et al.  Retrieval of words from well-learned sets: The effect of category size. , 1974 .

[23]  Alan D. Baddeley,et al.  Reaction Time and Short-term Memory: Implications of Repetition Effects for the High-speed Exhaustive Scan Hypothesis * , 1973 .

[24]  J. Theios,et al.  Memory scanning as a serial self-terminating process , 1973 .