Memory for the ordinary: Typicality effects in chess memory.

Abstract

Three studies are reported that argue for the importance of prototypic configurations in chess memory representations. Recall of stereotyped or typical positions after a S-sec exposure was superior to recall of more unusual and interesting positions. This effect was very robust and was independent of skill level and prior experience with the ideas and plans that generated the stimulus position. Subjects were also more likely to reconstruct a typical position correctly based on partial information. Finally, typical positions were recognized more accurately than atypical positions after a brief study period. These results suggest that long-term knowledge about chess may be organized around highly typical exemplars of general position types, as seems to be the case in other domains.Ordinary equals important. This has been the message of recent research exploring the significance of typical or representative objects and events in human memory and judgment. There is evidence that knowledge centers around a representation of prototypical elements in domains as disparate as color memory (Rosch, 1973), knowledge about real world objects (

Learned helplessness in chess players: The importance of task similarity and the role of skill

“…Only positions where the moves were explicitly judged as equivalent by the annotator were selected. The Learned Helplessness in Chess 9 degree of typicality of these positions, as defined by Goldin (1978), was similar to the normal feedback group positions. Finally, the subjects of this group were yoked with those of the normal feedback group with respect to the amount and quality of feedback.…”

The Role of Memory Templates in Experts’ Strategic Thinking

“…That strategic systems are a central feature of chess performance has been emphasized by both scientists (Charness, 1976(Charness, , 1981Gobet & Simon, 1996b;Goldin, 1978;Holding, 1989;McGregor & Howes, 2002;Saariluoma, 1991Saariluoma, , 1995, world chess champions (Alekhine, 1979;Kasparov, 1986), and chess trainers (Alburt & Chernin, 2001;Chassy & Anic, 2012;Mednis, 2002). Even though the importance of strategic systems is fully acknowledged, at the best of the author's knowledge there is no study designed to contrast novices' and experts' ability in identifying strategic systems.…”

“…Templates are memory units that are suitable to encode such flexible, visuospatial patterns. Scholars and world-class professionals agree that the mastery of strategic systems plays a central role in experts' performance (Alekhine, 1979;Capablanca, 1931;Gobet & Simon, 1996b;Goldin, 1978;Kasparov, 1986). In line with this view, trainers recommend that players spend between 25% and 50% of their training time studying strategic systems (Alburt & Chernin, 2001;Mednis, 2002).…”

Pattern‐based Learning and Spatially Oriented Concept Formation in a Multi‐agent, Decision‐making Expert

“…An expert's memory is organized contextually, so that a single board configuration that could arise in either of two different games is chunked and recalled differently, depending upon the game in which it is perceived (Eisenstadt and Kareev, 1975). There is also some evidence that a limited amount of memory organization may be around prototypes, i.e., that certain situations may be reminiscent of others (Goldin, 1978;Watkins, et al, 1984).…”