Distinctiveness and Encoding
Processes
PSY 400, Human Memory, Fall 2003
October 20, 2003
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Memory Distinctiveness and Encoding: Theory and Experiments - Prof. Marc Howard, Quizzes of Psychology
The distinctiveness theory of memory, focusing on the role of temporal and physical dimensions in memory encoding. The theory suggests that items are memorable to the extent that they stand out on these dimensions. Evidence for temporal distinctiveness, the von restorff effect, and the relationship between encoding and processing levels. It also discusses the encoding specificity principle and context effects.
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Distinctiveness and Encoding
Processes
PSY 400, Human Memory, Fall 2003
October 20, 2003
Housekeeping
- Hand in Von Restorff
- Get back Quiz 3.
- Take Quiz 4.
Important things from last time
- Retroactive/proactive interference.
- MFR/MMFR and the unlearning puzzle.
- Temporal delay in Brown-Peterson—like long- term recency
Distinctiveness Theory
- Murdock, (1960), Neath and Crowder (1990), Nairne, Neath, Serra and Byunn (1997)
- Items are memorable to the extent that they “stand out” on temporal or stimulus dimensions.
- Stimulus dimensions include semantic properties (release from PI) and/or physical dimensions (including von Restorff).
Primacy improves with delay (Fig 6.7)
How general is this finding?
- Never replicated for verbal materials (as far as i know)
- May be limited to first recognition test.
- Most theories of recognition memory don’t address this.
Our von Restorff Experiment
- What was the procedure?
- What should we have seen?
Our von Restorff Results
Distinctiveness and release from PI
1 2 3 4
TIM E AG O
Sem ant
ic
D im ensi
on^1 2
4
TIM E AG O
Sem ant
ic
D im ensi
on
A B
More on distinctiveness theory
- Basically a Weber-Fechner law for memory retrieval.
- Captures properties of retrieval.
- Problem: primacy is obligatory.
- What is the source of temporal information— maybe some kind of positional code?
- Problem: no explanation of associative effects (CRP)—chaining vs position all over again.
Levels of processing
- Craik and Lockhart (1972)
- Originally proposed as an alternative to modal model.
- Idea was semantic information decays slowly, whereas sensory information decays quickly.
Levels of Processing as an
experimental manipulation
- Some items receive “deep” encoding
- Others receive “shallow” encoding.
- Typical finding is that “deep” are learned better.
Levels of processing results
- Fig 5.
- “Deep” processing improves recall
- Intentional/incidental probably a function of type of processing.
The problem with levels of processing
- Is deep always better than shallow?
- It depends very much on what you want to remember.
- Your memory for phonological information is better if you focus on phonological properties.