Enhancing the learning of new words using an errorless learning procedure: Evidence from typical adults

Two experiments compared the efficacy of errorless and errorful training procedures in the acquisition of novel words in typical adults. One experiment involved learning novel names for novel objects, while a second involved learning obscure English words and their definitions. In both studies the errorless method led to significantly better learning as assessed by an immediate cued recall test. The errorless advantage was characterised by a reduction in extra-experimental intrusion errors and was still present when learning was re-tested 3–4 days after training. In contrast there was no errorless advantage in recognition of word-to-object pairings. Taken together, these results suggest that errorless learning procedures improve retrieval by leading to the creation of better-specified, retrievable representations in long-term memory

A revised model of short-term memory and long-term learning of verbal sequences

The interaction between short- and long-term memory is studied within a model in which phonemic and (temporal) contextual information have separate influences on immediate verbal serial recall via connections with short- and long-term plasticity [Burgess, N., & Hitch, G.J. (1999). Memory for serial order: a network model of the phonological loop and its timing. Psychological Review, 106, 551–581]. Long-term learning of sequences of familiar items is correctly predicted to interact with temporal grouping but not phonological similarity or articulatory suppression. However the model fails to predict learning of different sequences simultaneously, or of partially repeated lists. In a revised model, sufficiently different sequences recruit different context signals while sufficiently similar sequences recruit the same signal, via a cumulative matching process during encoding. Simulations show this revised model captures the experimental data on Hebb repetition, including the importance of matching at the start of a list, makes novel predictions concerning the effects of partial repetition, and provides a potential mechanism for position specific intrusions and the build up of proactive interference

How is the serial order of a spatial sequence represented? Insights from transposition latencies.

How is the serial order of a spatial sequence represented in short-term memory (STM)? Previous research by Farrell and Lewandowsky (Farrell & Lewandowsky, 2004; Lewandowsky & Farrell, 2008) has shown that 5 alternative mechanisms for the representation of serial order can be distinguished on the basis of their predictions concerning the response times accompanying transposition errors. We report 3 experiments involving the output-timed serial recall of sequences of seen spatial locations that tested these predictions. The results of all 3 experiments revealed that transposition latencies are a negative function of transposition displacement, but with a reduction in the slope of the function for postponement, compared with anticipation errors. This empirical pattern is consistent with that observed in serial recall of verbal sequences reported by Farrell and Lewandowsky (2004), and with the predictions of a competitive queuing mechanism, within which serial order is represented via a primacy gradient of activations over items combined with associations between items and positional markers, and with suppression of items following recall. The results provide the first clear evidence that spatial and verbal STM rely on some common mechanisms and principles for the representation of serial order. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved

Eye-closure helps memory by reducing cognitiveload and enhancing visualisation

Closing the eyes helps memory. We investigated the mechanisms underlying the eyeclosure effect by exposing 80 eyewitnesses to different types of distraction during the witness interview: blank screen (control), eyes closed, visual distraction, and auditory distraction. We examined the cognitive load hypothesis by comparing any type of distraction (visual or auditory) with minimal distraction (blank screen or eyes closed). We found recall to be significantly better when distraction was minimal, providing evidence that eyeclosure reduces cognitive load. We examined the modality-specific interference hypothesis by comparing the effects of visual and auditory distraction on recall of visual and auditory information. Visual and auditory distraction selectively impaired memory for information presented in the same modality, supporting the role of visualisation in the eyeclosure effect. Analysis of recall in terms of grain size revealed that recall of basic information about the event was robust, whereas recall of specific details was prone to both general and modality-specific disruptions

Is the binding of visual features in working memory resource-demanding?

The episodic buffer component of working memory is assumed to play a role in the binding of features into chunks. A series of experiments compared memory for arrays of colors or shapes with memory for bound combinations of these features. Demanding concurrent verbal tasks were used to investigate the role of general attentional processes, producing load effects that were no greater on memory for feature combinations than for the features themselves. However, the binding condition was significantly less accurate with sequential rather than simultaneous presentation, especially for items earlier in the sequence. The findings are interpreted as evidence of a relatively automatic but fragile visual feature binding mechanism in working memory. Implications for the concept of an episodic buffer are discussed

The effectiveness of eye-closure in repeated interviews

Purpose Closing the eyes during recall can help witnesses remember more about a witnessed event. This study examined the effectiveness of eye-closure in a repeated recall paradigm with immediate free recall followed 1 week later by both free and cued recall. We examined whether eye-closure was more or less effective during the second free-recall attempt compared with the first, whether eye-closure during the first recall attempt had an impact on subsequent free- and cued-recall performance, and whether eye-closure during the second free recall could facilitate the recall of new, previously unreported, information (reminiscence). Method Participants witnessed a videotaped event and participated in a first free-recall attempt (with eyes open or closed) a few minutes later. After a week, they provided another free recall, followed by a cued-recall interview (with eyes open or closed). Results Eye-closure during the first free-recall attempt had no significant effect on performance during any of the recall attempts. However, eye-closure during the second session increased the amount of correct visual information reported in that session by 36.7% in free recall and by 35.3% in cued recall, without harming testimonial accuracy. Crucially, eye-closure also facilitated the recall of new, previously unreported visual information. Conclusions The findings extend previous research in showing that the eye-closure instruction can still be effective when witnesses are interviewed repeatedly, and that it can facilitate the elicitation of new information. Thus, the eye-closure instruction constitutes a simple and time-efficient interview tool for police interviewers. © 2013 The British Psychological Society

The effects of eye-closure and “ear-closure” on recall of visual and auditory aspects of a criminal event

Previous research has shown that closing the eyes can facilitate recall of semantic and episodic information. Here, two experiments are presented which investigate the theoretical underpinnings of the eye-closure effect and its auditory equivalent, the “ear-closure” effect. In Experiment 1, participants viewed a violent videotaped event and were subsequently interviewed about the event with eyes open or eyes closed. Eye-closure was found to have modality-general benefits on coarse-grain correct responses, but modality-specific effects on fine-grain correct recall and incorrect recall (increasing the former and decreasing the latter). In Experiment 2, participants viewed the same event and were subsequently interviewed about it, either in quiet conditions or while hearing irrelevant speech. Contrary to expectations, irrelevant speech did not significantly impair recall performance. This null finding might be explained by the absence of social interaction during the interview in Experiment 2. In conclusion, eye-closure seems to involve both general and modality-specific processes. The practical implications of the findings are discussed