The Role of the Interpolated Task in Short-Term Retention

Quarterly Journal of Experimental PsychologyPublished 1 August 1966

Rupert Conrad, A. J. Hull

Citations5

TL;DR

An experiment gave results which indicate that when the amount forgotten and the nature of errors are considered, a decay model is supported, and the proactive interference suggestion being untenable.

Abstract

It has been proposed that a single set of operations based on classical interference theory is adequate to describe the phenomena of both short- and long-term memory. An article by Keppel and Underwood (1962) argues that short-term forgetting is due to proactive interference and, by implication, not a result of trace decay. An experiment which varied retention interval and the nature of the interpolated task, gave results which indicate that when the amount forgotten and the nature of errors are considered, a decay model is supported, the proactive interference suggestion being untenable.

Keywords

PsychologyComputer ScienceNeuroscience

McGraw-Hill Book CompanyStatistical principles in experimental design.

26,927 Citations1962B. J. WINER

Quarterly Journal of Experimental PsychologySome Tests of the Decay Theory of Immediate Memory

1,444 Citations1958John L. Brown

A theory of the memory span, based on this hypothesis, is put forward and shows that the effect of additional stimuli interpolated before recall remains considerable even when there is an interval of several seconds between presentation of required and additional stimuli.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorProactive inhibition in short-term retention of single items

772 Citations1962Geoffrey Keppel, Benton J. Underwood

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorImplications of short-term memory for a general theory of memory

724 Citations1963Arthur W. Melton

View PDF

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorOrder error in immediate recall of sequences

201 Citations1965Rupert Conrad

It is concluded that memory models do not necessarily need a mechanism which could transpose the order of items in storage, and a simpler model is suggested in which items are fixed in the input order, encoded only according to properties of individual items.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorAcoustic similarity and retroactive interference in short-term memory

151 Citations1965Wayne A. Wickelgren

Findings for STM are completely consistent with analogous studies of RI as a function of similarity in LTM.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorFlow of information within the organism

116 Citations1963D. Ε. Broadbent

The general approach of drawing inferences about the flow of information inside the organism is outlined, and the evidence for distinguishing short-term from long-term memory is summarized.

British Journal of PsychologySERIAL ORDER INTRUSIONS IN IMMEDIATE MEMORY

99 Citations1960Rupert Conrad

It was found that increasing the time interval between successive 8-digit messages had no effect on recall performance, and it was suggested that intrusions occur after recall has failed—there being no causal relationship.

Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal BehaviorInterference or decay over short retention intervals?

89 Citations1967Rupert Conrad