The 9 lives of short-term memory. In A. Thorn & M. Page (Eds.), Interactions between short-term and long-term memory in the verbal domain (pp. 16 -43). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

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3 experiments varying the interval between 2 presentations of paired associates were reported. Other pairs filled the spacing and retention intervals. Pairs consisting of a word and a number as well as pairs consisting of 2 words showed a superiority at 8 sec. and longer retention intervals when presentations were spaced. Increasing the spacing interval beyond 8 sec. did not increase recall, when a 2-sec. rate of presentation was used. A 2-factor explanation of the findings was suggested, in which cue learning was the major factor influencing recall at longer retention intervals, while a 2nd factor was confounded with cue learning at short retention intervals.

A number of paired-associate experiments are examined for evidence of the interaction of a short-term storage with a long-term learning mechanism. Differential effects depending on length of the retention interval are described for duration of the spacing interval between 2 presentations of individual pairs, duration of presentations, and number of repetitions. The rapidly decreasing initial portion of the retention curve with multiple paired associates is considered to be the result of interference and the passage of time. The later portion of the shortterm retention curve is considered to largely reflect an associative mechanism which may produce stronger associations with time. A model of the interaction of these mechanisms with a guessing component is presented.

No abstract