An Isolation Effect in Serial Memory for Spatial Information

Abstract

This paper reports the first demonstration of an isolation effect or von Restorff effect (von Restorff, 1933) in the context of a spatial-memory task: Short-term serial recall was enhanced for both the location and the serial position of one red dot presented amongst a sequence of otherwise black dots. When the serial position of the isolate was fixed, the spatial isolation effect only emerged when participants received a control block of trials before the block of isolation trials (Experiment 1). However, when the serial position of the isolate was varied across isolation trials, an isolation effect was still produced regardless of condition order (Experiment 2). It is suggested that both temporal grouping strategies and greater item-specific processing may have contributed to the enhanced retention of the isolate.When an item differs in some way from the other items in a verbal to-be-remembered sequence, memory for the distinct item is enhanced. This isolation effect or von Restorff effect-as it is also commonly known following its discoverer (von Restorff, 1933)-is a robust phenomenon that has been replicated numerous times in many different methodological settings. Although an isolation effect has been found when an item is postcategorically distinct from its neighbours (e.g., a digit amongst syllables; Fabiani & Donchin, 1995), in most demonstrations the isolate has been precategorically (or perceptually) distinct, in terms of, for example, its colour (e.g., Huang & Hynum, 1970;Rosen, Richardson, & Saltz, 1962) or size (e.g., Huang & Hynum, 1970;Kelley & Nairne, 2001). Such effects in which isolation is implemented through precategorical attributes suggest that the phenomenon is unlikely to be related specifically to verbal Correspondence should be addressed to Katherine Guérard, É cole de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada. E-mail: katherine.guerard.1@ulaval.caThanks are due to Josée Bluteau for assistance in running the experiment. We would also like to thank François Vachon for critical reading of an earlier draft.

A motor isolation effect: When object manipulability modulates recall performance

“…Therefore, although colour might be processed, it is not useful for retention. However, if one green item is embedded in a list of black items, recall performance for the green item increases drastically (e. g., Cimbalo, Capria, Neider, & Wilking, 1977;Guérard, Hughes, & Tremblay, 2008). In such a list, colour becomes discriminant and can be useful for retention (e.g., see Brown, Neath, & Chater, 2007;Brown, Preece, & Hulme, 2000;Nairne, 1990;Neath, 1999;Oberauer & Kliegl, 2006).…”

The methodology for research about ease of learning judgements: Does sequential and simultaneous judgements create different results?

“…Kang, McDermott and Roediger (2007) demonstrated through their experiments that students remember more when answering questions on tests with their own words, rather than answering multiple-choice questions, working on a deeper processing level in the controlling part of the metacognitive process. Guérard, Hughes and Tremblay (2008) researched about the so-called von Restorff, or isolation, effect. The von Restorff effect means that people remember information better when they are distinct from its surrounding.…”

Alpha Meals

“…Recent work also suggests this effect extends to spatial information. For example, Guérard, Hughes, and Tremblay (2008) showed that short-term serial recall was enhanced for both the location and the serial position of a red dot when presented among a sequence of otherwise black dots, highlighting the role of distinctiveness in enhancing memory. Based on these studies, we can make predictions about how to maximize accuracy when busy servers deliver plates of food to specific rooms and table locations in a restaurant.…”