scholarly journals Are small additions solved by direct retrieval from memory or automated counting procedures? A rejoinder to Chen and Campbell (2018)

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1416-1418
Author(s):  
Catherine Thevenot ◽  
Pierre Barrouillet
Keyword(s):  
Recent Article ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Psychonomic Bulletin ◽  
Single Digit ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Counting Procedure ◽  
Retrieval From Memory

AbstractContrary to the longstanding and consensual hypothesis that adults mainly solve small single-digit additions by directly retrieving their answer from long-term memory, it has been recently argued that adults could solve small additions through fast automated counting procedures. In a recent article, Chen and Campbell (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25, 739–753, 2018) reviewed the main empirical evidence on which this alternative hypothesis is based, and concluded that there is no reason to jettison the retrieval hypothesis. In the present paper, we pinpoint the fact that Chen and Campbell reached some of their conclusions by excluding some of the problems that need to be considered for a proper argumentation against the automated counting procedure theory. We also explain why, contrary to Chen and Campbell’s assumption, the network interference model proposed by Campbell (Mathematical Cognition, 1, 121–164, 1995) cannot account for our data. Finally, we clarify a theoretical point of our model.

Retrieval from Memory or Procedural Strategies for Addition Problems

2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel Fanget ◽  
Catherine Thevenot ◽  
Caroline Castel ◽  
Michel Fayol
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Times ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Verbal Reports ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Simple Addition ◽  
Memory Traces ◽  
Addition Problem ◽  
Retrieval From Memory ◽  
Calculation Procedures

In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed ( Thevenot, Fanget, & Fayol, 2007 ) to determine whether 10-year-old children solve simple addition problems by retrieval of the answer from long-term memory or by calculation procedures. Our paradigm is unique in that it does not rely on reaction times or verbal reports, which are known to potentially bias the results, especially in children. Rather, it takes advantage of the fact that calculation procedures degrade the memory traces of the operands, so that it is more difficult to recognize them when they have been involved in the solution of an addition problem by calculation rather than by retrieval. The present study sharpens the current conclusions in the literature and shows that, when the sum of addition problems is up to 10, children mainly use retrieval, but when it is greater than 10, they mainly use calculation procedures.

scholarly journals Encoding of numerical information in memory: Magnitude or nominal?

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Eriksson ◽  
Marcus Lindskog
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Digit Number ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Numerical Information ◽  
Insufficient Attention ◽  
Single Piece ◽  
Analog Magnitude ◽  
Arabic Digits

In studies of long-term memory of multi-digit numbers the leading digit tends to be recalled correctly more often than less significant digits, which has been interpreted as evidence for an analog magnitude encoding of the numbers. However, upon closer examination of data from one of these studies we found that the distribution of recall errors does not fit a model based on analog encoding. Rather, the data suggested an alternative hypothesis that each digit of a number is encoded separately in long-term memory, and that encoding of one or more digits sometimes fails due to insufficient attention in which case they are simply guessed when recall is requested, with no regard for the presented value. To test this hypothesis of nominal encoding with value-independent mistakes, we conducted two studies with a total of 1,080 adults who were asked to recall a single piece of numerical information that had been presented in a story they had read earlier. The information was a three-digit number, manipulated between subjects with respect to its value (between 193 and 975), format (Arabic digits or words), and what it counted (baseball caps or grains of sand). Results were consistent with our hypothesis. Further, the leading digit was recalled correctly more often than less significant digits when the number was presented in Arabic digits but not when the number was presented in words; our interpretation of this finding is that the latter format does not focus readers’ attention on the leading digit.

Backward Recognition Masking in Relative Pitch Judgments

1977 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic W. Massaro ◽  
Wendy L. Idson
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Target Tone ◽  
Silent Interval ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Memory Representation ◽  
Critical Test ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Relative Pitch ◽  
Comparison Argument

Backward recognition masking refers to interference of a second masking tone with recognition of a target tone presented earlier in time. The degree of interference has been found to decrease as the length of the silent interval separating the two tones increases. These results have been interpreted as representing interference of the masking tone upon the preperceptual storage and perceptual resolution of the target. It is logically possible, however, that the masking tone does not interfere with perceptual resolution but interferes with comparison of the target to a long-term memory representation. The current research was designed to provide a critical test of this alternative hypothesis by modifying the backward recognition masking task. Subjects determined whether the masking tone was higher or lower in pitch than the target tone. The frequencies of the target and masking tones varied randomly across trials. This ensured that the task could not be performed by comparing the target to a representation in long-term memory. Nevertheless, masking was obtained in this task, arguing against the comparison argument and in favor of the perceptual resolution interpretation. Given that masking was obtained under both ipsilateral and contralateral presentation of the tones, the results argue for a central preperceptual auditory storage that holds information after the inputs from the two ears are combined in the auditory system.

scholarly journals The obligatory activation of practiced complex multiplication facts and what it tells us about models of arithmetic processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-165
Author(s):  
Loel Nicholas Tronsky
Keyword(s):  
Correct Answer ◽  
Complex Multiplication ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Single Digit ◽  
Simple Arithmetic ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Multiplication Facts ◽  
Models Of Arithmetic

Three experiments were conducted in which adults practiced complex multiplication problems (e.g., 4 x 17). In Experiments 1 and 2, after practice participants completed a number-matching task in which two digits (cues) were followed by a single digit (probe) and had to determine whether the probe matched either of the cues. In simple arithmetic (e.g., 4 x 3), when the probe is the product of the cues (12), participants are slower/more error prone when determining whether there is a match. Results of Experiment 1 extended this effect to complex multiplication. In Experiment 2, participants practiced problems with the larger operand first (e.g., 17 x 4) or with the smaller operand first (e.g., 4 x 17). The number-matching interference effect from Experiment 1 was replicated, and was equal across the two groups whether cues were presented in their practiced or non-practiced order. Experiment 3 was conducted to determine if two additional simple multiplication effects, consistency and relatedness, could be documented for complex multiplication. After practice, in a verification task (4 x 13 = 56?) it was found that when presented answers shared a digit with the decade digit of the correct answer (consistency) or were a correct answer to another practiced problem (relatedness), participants rejected answers more slowly and/or less accurately. Together, findings from the three experiments support arithmetic models that posit that commuted pairs are not represented in long-term memory independently and that posit representations of two-digit multiplication answers are decomposed into decades and units during arithmetic processing.

Conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) supports core claims of Christiansen and Chater

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Potter
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Rapid Serial Visual Presentation ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Visual Presentation ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Use Of Knowledge

AbstractRapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of words or pictured scenes provides evidence for a large-capacity conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) that momentarily provides rich associated material from long-term memory, permitting rapid chunking (Potter 1993; 2009; 2012). In perception of scenes as well as language comprehension, we make use of knowledge that briefly exceeds the supposed limits of working memory.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

The Acute Effect of Alcohol on Various Memory Processes

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márk Molnár ◽  
Roland Boha ◽  
Balázs Czigler ◽  
Zsófia Anna Gaál
Keyword(s):  
Low Dose ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Acute Effect ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Legal Consequences

This review surveys relevant and recent data of the pertinent literature regarding the acute effect of alcohol on various kinds of memory processes with special emphasis on working memory. The characteristics of different types of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) processes are summarized with an attempt to relate these to various structures in the brain. LTM is typically impaired by chronic alcohol intake but according to some data a single dose of ethanol may have long lasting effects if administered at a critically important age. The most commonly seen deleterious acute effect of alcohol to STM appears following large doses of ethanol in conditions of “binge drinking” causing the “blackout” phenomenon. However, with the application of various techniques and well-structured behavioral paradigms it is possible to detect, albeit occasionally, subtle changes of cognitive processes even as a result of a low dose of alcohol. These data may be important for the consideration of legal consequences of low-dose ethanol intake in conditions such as driving, etc.

Short- and long-term memory tasks predict working memory performance, and vice versa.

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Neath ◽  
Jean Saint-Aubin ◽  
Tamra J. Bireta ◽  
Andrew J. Gabel ◽  
Chelsea G. Hudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Short And Long Term
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