Memory for serial order across domains: An overview of the literature and directions for future research.

Abstract

From vocabulary learning to imitating sequences of motor actions, the ability to plan, represent, and recall a novel sequence of items in the correct order is fundamental for many verbal and nonverbal higher level cognitive activities. Here we review phenomena of serial order documented across the verbal, visual, and spatial short-term memory domains and interpret them with reference to the principles of serial order and ancillary assumptions instantiated in contemporary computational theories of memory for serial order. We propose that functional similarities across domains buttress the notion that verbal, visual, and spatial sequences are planned and controlled by a competitive queuing (CQ) mechanism in which items are simultaneously active in parallel and the strongest item is chosen for output. Within the verbal short-term memory CQ system, evidence suggests that serial order is represented via a primacy gradient, position marking, response suppression, and cumulative matching. Evidence further indicates that output interference operates during recall and that item similarity effects manifest during both serial order encoding and retrieval. By contrast, the principles underlying the representation of serial order in the visual and spatial CQ systems are unclear, largely because the relevant studies have yet to be performed. In the spatial domain, there is some evidence for a primacy gradient and position marking, whereas in the visual domain there is no direct evidence for either of the principles of serial order. We conclude by proposing some directions for future research designed to bridge this and other theoretical gaps in the literature.

Tactile order memory: evidence for sequence learning phenomena found with other stimulus types

“…Tremblay & Saint-Aubin, 2009), the spatial position of auditory stimuli (Parmentier, Maybery, Huitson, & Jones, 2008), and odours (Johnson, Cauchi, & Miles, 2013). Taken together, these findings suggest that the repetition learning mechanism is a general characteristic of memory, akin to task-dependent serial position functions (Ward et al, 2005; for discussion see also Hurlstone et al, 2014). Whilst, serial position curves and error distributions provide insight into short-term order memory, the Hebb repetition effect is a measure of longer-term sequence memory; the present study therefore examines characteristics of both short-and long-term tactile order memory and compares with previous findings across other stimulus types.…”

“…Moreover, tactile error distributions that are analogous to verbal memory suggest that order memory is represented in a similar way for tactile stimuli. Whilst the data by no means falsifies modularity in order memory (Hurlstone et al, 2014, argue for modularity based upon selective interference, neuropsychological double dissociations, and imaging data), it does add further support for a common (or at the very least analogous) mechanism underpinning order memory across stimulus types.…”

“…This finding is consistent with Ward et al's (2005) proposal that the serial position function is defined by the task, not the stimuli employed. Additionally, the finding adds further weight to the conclusion of Hurlstone et al (2014) that "given the existence of a common set of behavioural features, it is clearly more parsimonious to assume that at least some core sequencing principles exist that apply across domains" (p.340).…”

“…Duncan & Lewandowsky, 2004). This effect is yet to be explored in non-verbal stimuli (Hurlstone et al, 2014) and would test cross-modal similarities in response suppression.…”

“…These repetitions are separated by a mean distance of 3-4 serial positions (Henson, Norris, Page, & Baddeley 1996, report an average separation of 3.4 output positions). Finally, in verbal serial recall, omission errors are substantially less frequent than order errors (see Hurlstone, Hitch, & Baddeley, 2014, for review).…”