Contextual encoding and recovery from interference in the Brown-Peterson paradigm

Abstract

Short-term memory in the Brown-Peterson paradigm has consistently shown enhanced performance on a trial following a long intertrial interval (ITI) as compared to performance in the absence of such an IT!. Whereas the fact of dissipation of interference has been clearly documented. the mechanism of such is not as well understood. The nature of the activity required of the subject during the long ITI was manipulated to assess the hypothesis that the amount of improvement obt~ned is a function of the contextual change produced during the IT!. The data indicated that such an interpretation is a tenable explanation of release from proactive interference over a long IT!.