Memory Span and the Skewness of the Serial‐position Curve*

Jensen, Arthur R.; Roden, Aubrey H.

doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1963.tb00888.x

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Waugh (1960) found that the improved performance of well-practiced subjects occurred in the primacy portion of the serial position curve and that the recency portion was unaltered. A similar result was obtained in comparing subjects with high and low memory spans (Jensen & Roden, 1963).…”

Section: Practice Effects In Regular Laboratory Studiessupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Greater reduction was observed for two subjects given 30-40 practice sessions. Similar dramatic improvements have been observed for lists of nonsense syllables (Ebert & Meumann, 1904; Lepley, 1934; Meyer & Miles, 1953; Ward, 1937), lists of coloured geometric forms (Jensen & Roden, 1963), and for learning of paired-associates (Greenberg & Underwood, 1950; Keppel, Postman, & Zavortnik, 1968; Warr, 1964, Exp. 1).…”

Section: Memory Skill Versus Memory Ability In Normal Subjectssupporting

confidence: 60%

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Memory skill.

Ericsson¹

1985

Canadian Journal of Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologi

174

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Acquired memory skills best account for differences in memory performance. According to Chase and Ericsson's theory of skilled memory, improved memory or memory skills are due to the acquisition of more efficient storage and retrieval processes using long-term memory (LTM). Their theory specifies three principles which characterize the structure of memory skills. First, information rapidly stored in LTM is encoded in terms of knowledge structures in semantic memory (meaningful encoding). Second, during storage in LTM, special retrieval cues are explicitly associated with the memory encoding of the presented information (retrieval structure). Third, encoding and retrieval operations using LTM can be dramatically sped up by practice, making the rate of information storage in LTM comparable to that of short-term memory (STM). These principles describe empirical evidence recorded from a large number of memory experts who have demonstrated remarkable memory performance. Strong evidence for these principles has also been found for normal subjects, when they are given more than a couple of hours of practice or training on memory tasks. Finally, expert memory skill is related to the superior memory for meaningful information by normal subjects.*First, I want to acknowledge the enormous intellectual contribution of Bill Chase to this paper through our discussions prior to his untimely death. It has been my conscious decision to try not to change the ideas in the theory of skilled memory, but primarily to extend their scope. The support of ONR (Contract NO. N00014-84-K-0250) is gratefully acknowledged. I would like to sincerely thank

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Section: Practice Effects In Regular Laboratory Studiessupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Memory Skill Versus Memory Ability In Normal Subjectssupporting

confidence: 60%

Memory skill.

Ericsson¹

1985

Canadian Journal of Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologi

174

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“…Figures 3 and 4 are provided merely as comparative data to illustrate differences in mean errors for each level at each position under both tasks. These results would seem to confirm the astmmptions made concerning an increase in retention (or conversely fewer errors and 1;hus more efficiency) with age (Edwards & Scannell, 1968; Jensen & Roden, 1963). I t will be recalled that the raw error data were converted into Index scores on which the actual discriminant analysis was performed.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 63%

The Relative Difficulty Position Function

Agruso

Reckase

1976

British J of Psychology

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A study was conducted to determine if the serial position curve remains invariant acroea developmental levels under dserent rota verbal learning tasks when the curvea are expressed as Indices of Relative Difficulty. Eighty students, ages 5-11, from the University of Missouri-Columbia L8bOr8tO~y School aerved 88 subjects for this study. Each subject participated i n two experimental tasks, multitrial free reO8ll and serial recall, counterbalanced in presentation.Seven words for each of the two experimental tasks and for each of the two practice tasks constituted the list length. On each task, every subject received a different random order of the list. The data consisted of an error score, cumulated over five trials, at each of seven serial positions for each subject in two tasks. The data were transformed into the Index of Relative Difficulty, which was the method used in representing the serial position effect. The statistical analyses were a multiple discriminant analysis on the four age groups for each of the two k k s and a Hotelling T* analysis on the serial versus free recall mean vectors. All analyses were performed on the Index of Relative Difficulty. The analyses indicated that age or grade level in and of itself is not a 0i@cant faotor in changing the bowed skewed curve found in rote verbal learning tasks. The effect of serial position on the shape of the eerie1 position curve has been shown to be consistent with the findings of other investigators.

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“…Waugh (1960) presented a theory relating memory span to the serial position effect which involved a hypothesis concerning an interaction between Ss memory span and differential recall of sections of serial lists. Jensen & Roden (1963), in Experiment I, found no difference between high and low memory span groups on trials to criterion with the high span group making significantly fewer errors in the first four positions thereby indicating a difference in the skewness of the curves for the groups.…”

mentioning

confidence: 73%

Individual differences in memory and the serial position effect

Roberts

Lewis

1968

Psychon Sci

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The present study investigated changes, if any, in the serial position curve when Ss were grouped on the basis of lzigh to low recall scores. Ss received eight lists of verbal concept formation materials (Type I) for recall and eight weeks later, eight lists of nonsense syllables material (Type II) for recall. A group by serial position interaction was found for Type I but not Type II material. Differential primacy-recency effects for the serial position curves were found for the two types of material. A correlation of. 62 between perfonnance on Type I and Type II material was obtained.

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Memory Span and the Skewness of the Serial‐position Curve*

Cited by 12 publications

References 6 publications

Memory skill.

Memory skill.

The Relative Difficulty Position Function

Individual differences in memory and the serial position effect

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