Effects of Perceptual and Conceptual Processing on Memory for Words and Voice: Different Patterns for Young and Old

In two experiments younger and older adults listened to a list of words presented auditorily by two speakers. The subjects processed each word either perceptually (voice judgements) or conceptually (pleasantness judgements), and were then given memory tasks for the words and the presenting voice. In the word-recognition task the two age groups benefited equally from conceptual as opposed to perceptual processing. In the voice memory task, however, conceptual processing improved performance relative to perceptual processing in the younger subjects (significantly so in Experiment 1), but conceptual processing was associated with decreased performance in the older group (significantly so in Experiment 2). These results suggest that whereas older subjects exhibit a trade-off in memory for item and attribute information, younger subjects exhibit a pattern of support, in which conceptual processing benefits memory for both items and their attributes.     

Image tracing: An analysis of its effectiveness in children's pictorial discrimination learning

Previous research has shown that requiring children to trace from memory the correct member of a pictorial discrimination pair markedly facilitates performance. The experiment reported here offers support for a presumed component of this learning strategy, namely, “memory imagery.” In particular, subjects who traced directly on top of the correct picture did not perform as well as those who traced it from memory. Various theoretical explanations of the image-tracing phenomenon are considered, including depth of processing, dual coding, and frequency.     

Levels of processing: Qualitative differences or task-demand differences?

In nearly all reported orienting task studies, the question is asked before the item or items are presented. This paper reports two experiments wherein the question was asked after the item was presented. These experiments found that an orthographic orienting task did not produce poorer retention than a semantic orienting task when (1) the orthographic task was presented in such a way to ensure that the list items would be encoded as units and (2) the test was designed to eliminate the effect of encoding elaboration to positive-response orienting questions. It was concluded that the depth-of-processing effect was composed of two components. One of these is a task-demand component that affects the probability of encoding target items as identifiable units. The second component of processing depth is trace elaboration to positive-response questions. In most experiments, the two components combine to produce better memory performance for targets presented with semantic orienting questions. However, the two components can be examined independently of each other to determine the degree to which each contributes to a particular experimental effect.     

Specifying levels of processing

This study examines the nature of stimulus processing under semantic and nonsemantic orienting instructions. Two experiments are reported in which subjects were presented with a series of trials each beginning with the presentation of a “decision word” about which they made either a semantic or non-semantic orienting decision. This decision was followed by a word in coloured ink whose colour subjects were required to name as quickly as possible. On half the trails the coloured word was the primary associate of the decision word whilst on the other half the two words were normatively unrelated. On completion of the experiments the subjects were given an unexpected free recall test. The semantic orienting condition led to longer colour naming latencies on associate trials whilst no such difference was found in the non-semantic condition. The semantic condition also produced higher levels of incidental recall although paradoxically an analysis of associative clustering in recall failed to show any difference between the two orienting conditions. The results are interpreted as support for the “Levels of Processing” approach to memory since they provide an index of processing depth which is independent of retention performance.     

A dissociative word-frequency X levels-of-processing interaction in episodic recognition and lexical decision tasks

The effects of levels-of-processing and word frequency were directly compared in three different memory tests. In the episodic recognition test, the subjects decided whether or not a word or a pronounceable nonword had been previously studied. In the two lexical decision tests with either pronounceable or unpronounceable nonwords as distractors, the subjects decided whether a test item was a word or a nonword. There were four main results: (1) in all three tests, reaction times (RTs) in response to studied words were faster if they had received semantic rather than rhyme processing during study; (2) in the episodic recognition test, RTs were faster for low- than for high-frequency words; in both lexical decision tests, RTs were faster for high- than for low-frequency words, though less so when the nonword distractors were unpronounceable; (3) prior study facilitated lexical decisions more in response to low- than to high-frequency words, thereby attenuating the word-frequency effect, but more so when the nonword distractors were pronounceable; (4) in the lexical decision test with pronounceable nonword distractors, relative to prior rhyme processing, prior semantic processing facilitated performance more for high- than for low-frequency words, whereas the opposite was the case in the episodic recognition test. Discussion focused on the relationship of these results to current views of the mechanisms by which (1) word frequency and depth of processing affect performance in implicit and explicit memory tests, and (2) repetition priming attenuates word-frequency effects for lexical decisions.     

Levels of processing, encoding strategies, and memory development.

In three experiments, memory for intentionally encoded words was compared with memory for encodings induced by asking semantic, phonemic, or surface questions. Subjects were second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade, and junior and senior high school students. Semantic encodings were more often recalled and recognized than were phonemic and surface (which did not differ). Intentional encodings were as likely to be recalled as semantic but were no more likely than phonemic and surface to be recognized, and this was true whether intentional learning was in anticipation of a recall test or a recognition test. Age trends occurred for recall, for intentional learning, and for induced processing which required subjects to generate word attributes. Age trends were attenuated for recognition and for induced processing which required subjects to verify whether a give attribute applied to the target word.     

Hypnosis and interrogative suggestibility

An attempt was made to induce memory errors through the use of misleading questioning in hypnosis. Subjects heard a short newslike story and gave initial free recall for the story details, then 4 days later were given three free recall trials: prior to hypnosis, following hypnotic induction and suggestion for enhanced memory, and after hypnosis was terminated. During hypnosis subjects were also twice interrogated with either misleading or objective questions for the story details. Accurate memory increased over the three free recall trials for all subjects regardless of hypnotizability. In recognition testing, subjects given misleading questions during the interrogation gave fewer correct responses, had more errors-in-fact as well as forgetting, and showed an increase in yielding to interrogative suggestibility over trials than subjects given objective questions. All subjects subsequently confabulated more information on the final awake free recall trial as a result of errors introduced during hypnotic interrogation process. These results help to clarify the inherent dangers in relying on hypnosis to enhance memory.     

Levels of processing: a view from functional brain imaging

This paper briefly reviews two central assumptions of the levels-of-processing framework in the light of findings from recent PET and fMRI studies: First, to address the suggestion that memory traces can be seen as records of analyses carried out for the purposes of perception and comprehension, studies on encoding-retrieval overlap in brain activation patterns are considered. Second, to address the suggestion that deeper, more semantic, processing results in more durable traces, studies of how encoding activity relates to processing depth and subsequent memory performance are examined. The results show that some of the sensory regions that are activated during initial perception are subsequently reactivated during retrieval, and activity in frontal and medial-temporal brain regions is related to depth of processing and level of memory performance. Collectively, these results provide support for central components of the levels framework.     

Human performance on the temporal bisection task

The perception and processing of temporal information are tasks the brain must continuously perform. These include measuring the duration of stimuli, storing duration information in memory, recalling such memories, and comparing two durations. How the brain accomplishes these tasks, however, is still open for debate. The temporal bisection task, which requires subjects to compare temporal stimuli to durations held in memory, is perfectly suited to address these questions. Here we perform a meta-analysis of human performance on the temporal bisection task collected from 148 experiments spread across 18 independent studies. With this expanded data set we are able to show that human performance on this task contains a number of significant peculiarities, which in total no single model yet proposed has been able to explain. Here we present a simple 2-step decision model that is capable of explaining all the idiosyncrasies seen in the data.     

Multiple resources in divided attention: a cross-modal test of the independence of hemispheric resources

Dual-task methodology was used to assess a multiple-resources account of information processing in which each cerebral hemisphere is assumed to have access to its own finite amount of attentional resources. A visually presented verbal memory task was paired with an auditory tone memory task, and subjects were paid to emphasize one task more than the other. When subjects were trying to remember tones presented to the right ear, they could trade performance between tasks as a function of the emphasis condition, whereas on left-ear trials they could not. In addition, a control session indicated that stimuli presented to the unattended ear demanded processing resources, even when it was to the detriment of performance. The data support the assumption of independence between the hemispheres' resource supplies.     

Levels of processing: A view from functional brain imaging

This paper briefly reviews two central assumptions of the levels-of-processing framework in the light of findings from recent PET and fMRI studies: First, to address the suggestion that memory traces can be seen as records of analyses carried out for the purposes of perception and comprehension, studies on encoding-retrieval overlap in brain activation patterns are considered. Second, to address the suggestion that deeper, more semantic, processing results in more durable traces, studies of how encoding activity relates to processing depth and subsequent memory performance are examined. The results show that some of the sensory regions that are activated during initial perception are subsequently reactivated during retrieval, and activity in frontal and medial-temporal brain regions is related to depth of processing and level of memory performance. Collectively, these results provide support for central components of the levels framework.     

Individual differences in working memory strategies for reading expository text

This study investigated whether individual differences in working memory (WM) span are associated with different WM management strategies during the reading of expository text. In Experiment 1, probe questions were presented on line during reading to determine whether thematic information was maintained in WM throughout comprehension. The data indicated that readers across the range of WM span maintained thematic information in WM throughout the reading of a given passage. In Experiment 2, sentence reading times and accuracy for both topic and detail questions were measured in two conditions: when topic sentences were present and when topic sentences were absent. Subjects performed similarly across the range of WM span in the topic-present condition, but lower span subjects performed more poorly on detail questions in the topic-absent condition. In Experiment 3, the topic-present condition of the second experiment was replicated, except that subjects expected to receive questions about details only. Thematic processing and retention of topic and detail information all increased with span. Taken together, these results suggest that, for more difficult text processing tasks, high- and low-span subjects adopt different WM management strategies and these strategies influence what is learned from reading the text.     

认知疲劳效应对内隐记忆与外显记忆的影响

本研究通过比较内隐记忆与外显记忆受到认知疲劳影响的情况,以了解内隐记忆的自动化加工机制。实验采用被试内设计,使用词汇判断与词汇再认任务测量内隐记忆与外显记忆。实验结果发现,相对于控制组,疲劳组的被试在完成疲劳任务后内隐记忆成绩显著下降,而外显记忆没有受到影响。结果说明相对于外显记忆,内隐记忆更容易受到认知疲劳影响。内隐记忆虽然是无意识的认知加工,但是与其他自动化加工具有不同的特征。     

认知疲劳效应对内隐记忆与外显记忆的影响

本研究通过比较内隐记忆与外显记忆受到认知疲劳影响的情况,以了解内隐记忆的自动化加工机制。实验采用被试内设计,使用词汇判断与词汇再认任务测量内隐记忆与外显记忆。实验结果发现,相对于控制组,疲劳组的被试在完成疲劳任务后内隐记忆成绩显著下降,而外显记忆没有受到影响。结果说明相对于外显记忆,内隐记忆更容易受到认知疲劳影响。内隐记忆虽然是无意识的认知加工,但是与其他自动化加工具有不同的特征。     

Having shaved a kiwi fruit: Memory of unfamiliar subject-performed actions

Summary In an experiment with young and elderly adults, memory of unfamiliar actions performed by the subjects was compared with memory of actions low and high in familiarity, in order further to assess the role of a knowledge base as regards memory material encoded by enacting. Memory of similar actions encoded verbally was also assessed. The findings showed that the type of encoding, as well as familiarity, determined free-recall memory performance. The highest free-recall scores were found for familiar actions encoded by performance, in both an immediate and a delayed free-recall test. Recognition memory was also enhanced by enacting, whereas the influence of familiarity with an item upon recognition performance was limited to actions encoded verbally. The role of familiarity in recognition performance of actions encoded verbally was reversed compared with that in free recall, in that recognition of unfamiliar actions was most effective. Moreover, age-related memory deficits were found in this study. Elderly adults showed a consistently lower level of performance than younger subjects in both types of free-recall test and in the recognition test. This effect of age was found regardless of the type of encoding, demonstrating that age-related memory differences are not compensated by motor encoding. The age effect was also found regardless of familiarity with the items, and was most significant for unfamiliar actions. This demonstrates that elderly adults have particular difficulty in processing unfamiliar memory material.The experiment was conducted as part of the fulfillment of the requirements for obtaining the diploma degree of Maria Schumacher. Portions of this paper were presented at the 32nd Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen, Regensburg, April 1990.     

A daytime nap containing solely non-REM sleep enhances declarative but not procedural memory

The specialized role that sleep-specific brain physiology plays in memory processing is being rapidly clarified with a greater understanding of the dynamic, complex, and exquisitely orchestrated brain state that emerges during sleep. Behaviorally, the facilitative role of non-REM (NREM) sleep (primarily slow wave sleep) for declarative but not procedural memory performance in humans has been demonstrated in a number of nocturnal sleep studies. However, subjects in these studies were tested after periods of sleep that contained REM sleep in addition to NREM sleep, and comparison wake groups were subjected to mild sleep deprivation. To add some clarity to the findings of these nocturnal studies, we assessed performance on declarative and procedural memory tasks following a daytime training-retest interval containing either a short nap that included NREM without REM sleep, or wakefulness. Consistent with previous findings we show that, after a comparatively brief sleep episode, subjects that take a nap improve more on a declarative memory task than subjects that stay awake, but that improvement on a procedural memory task is the same regardless of whether subjects take a nap or remain awake. Slow wave sleep was the only sleep parameter to correlate positively with declarative memory improvement. These findings are discussed with reference to the general benefits of napping and within the broader context of a growing literature suggesting a role for NREM-specific physiology for the processing of declarative memory.     

认知负荷和控制性注意对工作记忆广度任务成绩的影响

通过stroop干扰实验严格筛选被试,考察了控制性注意能力不同的被试在加工部分认知负荷不同的工作记忆广度任务中的成绩。结果表明：任务复杂性和加工速度对工作记忆广度任务成绩有重要影响,任务越复杂或加工速度越快,被试的工作记忆广度任务成绩越低;在复杂的和加工速度快的工作记忆广度任务中,控制性注意能力高的被试成绩要好于控制性注意能力低的被试,但在简单的和加工速度慢的任务中两者成绩没有显著差异。     

工作记忆、语境限制强度和句子长度对二语词汇学习的影响

本研究选取初二、高二、大三三个年龄段的被试,考察在句子阅读过程中,工作记忆容量、语境限制强度和句子长度对第二语言词汇学习的影响。研究结果发现,在句子阅读条件下,工作记忆容量是影响第二语言词汇学习的重要因素,高工作记忆容量促进了第二语言词汇的学习;在中等和长句子的条件下,语境的限制性越强,词汇学习的成绩越好;相比初二年龄组被试,高二和大三年龄组被试,在低语境限制性的情况下,阅读的句子越长,第二语言词汇学习效果越差。研究结果说明,个体工作记忆的容量,以及阅读材料等变量,都是影响自然阅读条件下二语词汇学习的重要因素。     

The effect of questioning on young children's memory for an event

The effect of adult questioning on young children's memory for an event was examined. Three groups of 4- and 5-year-old children experienced two special events. The questioning group was then asked a set of questions about one of the events on four different occasions over a 7-week period. At the end of the 7 weeks, all children were tested for recall of the two events. The experience of answering questions enhanced the memory performance of the children in the questioning group. However, comparison of the performance of the questioning group with that of two control groups showed that their memory improvement was extremely specific: (a) The questioning group did better only on the specific questions they had been repeatedly asked, (b) There was no general enhancement of recall; they were no better on new questions about the same event, (c) The enhancement was not specific to the experience of retrieving information from long-term memory; the performance of a control group with no long-term memory demands was almost identical to that of the questioning group. The results of this study support the view that adult questioning of young children enhances memory for the specific information about which questions have been asked, but it does not have generalized effects on memory performance or development.     

Intent to remember briefly presented human faces and other pictorial stimuli enhances recognition memory

Since the early days of psychology, researchers have investigated whether or not intending to remember information affects subsequent memory performance. The literature contains methodological issues and empirical contradictions, with ambiguous effects. In five experiments, a total of 576 participants viewed a rapid series of pictorial stimuli under either incidental- or intentional-memory conditions. Although the methodology was stringent, intent to remember consistently enhanced recognition memory. Recognition was enhanced even when participants viewed a picture of a human face, of an ape face, or of a bird for as little as 0.5-1.0 sec, with no interstimulus interval between it and the next picture. Rehearsal, depth of processing, and attentional allocation are discussed to explain how people might intentionally encode pictorial information to enhance their subsequent recognition memory performance.