An ACT-R Model of the Spacing Effect

The ACT-R computational modeling system encapsulates an activation-based system of declarative memory. While this model has had a variety of successes in modeling memory phenomena, in its current conception it has no mechanism that would produce the spacing effect. A paired-associate memory experiment was conducted and the data from this experiment were fit with an ACT-R memory model using a new decay mechanism. Rather than a set decay rate, this mechanism bases decay for a trial on the current activation at the time of that trial. The spacing effect is a result of this mechanism.

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