Coding of temporal-spatial patterns in short-term memory

Abstract

Short-term retention of temporal and spatial order information were compared using the distractor paradigm. Whereas subjects employed phonemic coding when they recalled the temporal order of letters, they coded information about temporal-spatial patterns for spatial order recall. When phonemic coding was eliminated by forcing the subjects to pronounce irrelevant items during the presentation of the letter string, subjects employed the pattern strategy even in temporal order recall. Distractor tasks involving digit shadowing were effective at disrupting temporal order recall, but caused little disruption of spatial order recall. However, distractor tasks involving the processing of spatial order information did interfere with spatial order recall.