Disruption Effects in Human Short-Term Memory: Some Negative Findings

1968 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Sloboda ◽  
Edward E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Retention Interval ◽  
White Noise ◽  
Present Experiment ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Human Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Negative Findings ◽  
Temporal Location ◽  
Central Level

Previous research has demonstrated that white noise disrupts human memory if it is administered with the to-be-remembered material. The present experiment investigated the effects of a 2-sec. burst of white noise on memory when it was administered during the retention interval (RI). Ss attempted to recall 7 digits after a 2- or 12-sec. RI. For the 2-sec. RI white noise was either present or absent. For the 12-sec. RI white noise occurred either during the first 2 sec., the middle 2 sec., the last 2 sec., or not at all. The results indicated that neither the temporal location nor even the presence of white noise had any effect on recall and that these negative findings could not be attributed to Ss filtering out the white noise at an autonomic or central level.

Effect of Recall Condition, Presentation Rate and Retention Interval on Short-Term Memory

1965 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 877-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas L. Rohrman ◽  
John C. Jahnke
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Retention Interval ◽  
University Students ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Presentation Rate ◽  
Recall Condition ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Order Information ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory

A total of 300 university students were presented a brief list of non-alphanumeric items and instructed to recall immediately either the items (free recall, FR), the order in which the items were presented (order recall, OR), or both (serial recall, SR). Presentation rate and retention interval were additional experimental variables in Exp. I and II, respectively. In both experiments significant differences in recall were found between FR conditions and the remaining two, which did not differ from each other. More items were recalled at the slow than fas: rate. Retention interval was not a significant variable. Results suggest that retention will improve when order information is eliminated from recall (Brown, 1958), that the recall of item and order information involve at least partially independent memory processes, and that, while the recall of items may proceed independently of the recall of their order, the converse is not true.

Effect of Starting Position on Reproduction of Movement: Further Evidence of Interference between Location and Distance Information

1989 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuniyasu Imanaka
Keyword(s):  
Retention Interval ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Distance Information ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Starting Position ◽  
Systematic Pattern ◽  
Two Independent Variables

Two experiments done with a short-term memory paradigm examined the influence of shifts in the starting position on the reproduction of kinesthetic location (Exp. 1) and on distance cues (Exp. 2). We assessed possible causes of the systematic pattern of undershooting and overshooting as related to the shift in the starting position. In each experiment, two groups of 10 students were given 25 trials, and each had criterion and reproduction tasks involving linear-positioning movements with a 10-sec. retention interval. Each experiment had two independent variables, the group of subjects and the shift in the starting position. The two groups differed in the possible sources of information, the distance moved (Exp. 1) or the end-location (Exp. 2), which were assumed to cause undershooting and overshooting during reproduction. Analysis showed that the information about the distance moved may produce undershooting and overshooting in reproduction of the end-location (Exp. 1). Also, the information about the end-location may produce undershooting and overshooting in reproduction of the distance moved (Exp. 2). The findings were further evidence of interference between location and distance cues in motor short-term memory.

Short-Term Memory and the Nature of Interference from Concurrent Shadowing

1972 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neal E. A. Kroll
Keyword(s):  
Retention Interval ◽  
Proactive Interference ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Auditory Memory ◽  
The Other ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory

Trigrams were presented visually or auditorily and followed by a 12 s retention interval filled with shadowing numbers or letters. Auditory memory letters followed by letter shadowing were recalled less than auditory memory letters followed by number shadowing or visual memory letters followed by either type of shadowing. The latter three conditions did not differ among themselves. An analysis of the recall intrusions suggested that forgetting of auditory memory letters followed by letter shadowing was caused mainly by a confusion between covert rehearsals and shadowing activity, while forgetting in the other three conditions was caused primarily by proactive interference from earlier memory trials.

Short-term Temporal Changes in Free Recall

1965 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Postman ◽  
Laura W. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Retention Interval ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Proactive Inhibition ◽  
Initial Part ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Absolute Level ◽  
Large Measure ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Counting Task

An experimental study of short-term memory for lists of familiar English words is reported. Lists of 10, 20, and 30 unrelated words were presented at a 1-sec. rate. Retention was measured by free recall after intervals of 0, 15 and 30 sec. A counting task was used to prevent rehearsal during the retention interval. The absolute level of recall increased with length of list whereas the percentages retained showed the reverse trend. The recall scores decreased steadily as a function of retention interval, with the rates of forgetting comparable for the three lengths of list. The decline in the amount recalled was due in large measure to the loss of the terminal items in the list. Consequently, the pronounced recency effect present on the immediate test of recall was progressively reduced as a function of time. By contrast retention of the initial part of the list was relatively stable. These variations in rate of forgetting are attributed to differences among serial positions in susceptibility to proactive inhibition.

Short-Term Memory for Duration of Movement

1984 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Digby Elliott ◽  
Ruth Jones
Keyword(s):  
Retention Interval ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Temporal Information ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Term Retention ◽  
Retention Characteristics ◽  
Visually Guided Movements ◽  
Memory For Duration

This study examined the short-term retention characteristics of temporal information about visually guided movements. Subjects attempted to recall a preselected movement of a particular duration either immediately or after an unfilled or filled retention interval. Subjects did not benefit from an opportunity to rehearse information about duration of movement over the interval. This finding supports a decay model of forgetting for temporal information about visually guided movements.

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