Item and Order Memory for Novel Visual Patterns Assessed by Two–Choice Recognition

Abstract

Five experiments examined item and order memory for short lists of novel visual patterns. Memory was tested either by an item recognition test, choosing between a target and a similar foil (Experiments 1, 3a, and 4), or by a relative recency decision between two patterns that occupied adjacent list positions (Experiments 2, 3b, and 5). For both item recognition and relative recency tasks, accuracy was in most cases constant across serial positions, except for a recency advantage that was usually restricted to the most recent item or recency decision. Only a small and marginally significant effect of list length was observed for item recognition. Relative recency was more sensitive to list length and fell to near-chance levels with lists of eight items. We conclude that for these materials, prerecency item recognition depends on stable, context-free descriptions of items. Relative recency judgements are sensitive to list properties, but fail to show evidence of primacy or extended recency that are observed when other techniques are used to study serial order memory. We discuss the results in relation to four current models of serial order memory that embody different assumptions in the way that serial order is represented.

Short Article: Single-probe serial position recall: Evidence of modularity for olfactory, visual, and auditory short-term memory

“…The same model ANOVA as described above with the additional betweensubjects factor of Experiment showed, as expected, that articulatory suppression impaired recognition performance, F (1,46)=12.14,MSe=11.73,p<0.05 The general finding of recency in the absence of primacy is consistent across a range of stimulus types within the 2AFC paradigm e.g. odours, Johnson and Miles (2007); matrix pattern, Avons, Ward and Melling (2004); Kerr, Avons and Ward (1999).…”

Serial position effects in 2-alternative forced choice recognition: Functional equivalence across visual and auditory modalities

“…Consistent with this, inspection of the serial position functions for both backward and forward testing following auditory presentation (Experiment 1) and visual presentation The general finding of recency in the absence of primacy is consistent across a range of stimulus types within the 2AFC paradigm e.g. odours, Johnson and Miles (2007); matrix pattern, Avons, Ward and Melling (2004); Kerr, Avons and Ward (1999). Furthermore, the present findings are consistent with the proposal that the serial position function is task rather than stimuli/modality dependent (Ward et al 2005).…”

Serial Position Functions for Recognition of Olfactory Stimuli

“…For instance, Avons, Ward and Melling (2004, Experiment 1) employed a single 2AFC recognition test for sequences of 5-visual matrices and demonstrated evidence of a linear function with orthogonal contrasts showing extended recency. Such a linear trend is more consistent with a process account, such as temporal distinctiveness (e.g.…”