Structural and transient components of memory

A hypothesis is proposed directly relating the permanent memory component to a vector quantity which reflects sequential allocation of attention during encoding which is analogous to but in various ways less restrictive than the decomposition proposed by Waugh and Norman.

Abstract

The decomposition of free recall serial position curves into permanent and transient components (primary and secondary memory, Waugh & Norman, 1965) is widely accepted. In this paper, a hypothesis is proposed directly relating the permanent memory component to a vector quantity which reflects sequential allocation of attention during encoding. In conjunction with a previously published model for encoding and retrieval in free recall (Hogan, 1975), the hypothesis is shown to break down predicted serial position curves into permanent and transient components, in a manner analogous to but in various ways less restrictive than the decomposition proposed by Waugh and Norman.