The nature of memory processes has been inferred from (1) direct comparisons of recognition and cued recall performance, (2) indirect comparisons using different types of target stimuli, and (3) studies of recognition varying target material. Investigators have overlooked the possibility that recognition performance can be manipulated by changing…

Discusses current research (including that involving amnesiacs and snails) into the nature of the memory process, differentiating between and providing examples of "fact" memory and "skill" memory. Suggests that three brain parts (thalamus, fornix, mammilary body) are involved in the memory process. (JN)

Investigates the effect of the relationship between conditions at encoding (familiarization) and retrieval (test) with regard to infants' performance on a paired-comparison recognition test. Subjects were 32 male and 32 female infants between 8.7 and 10.3 months of age. (MP)

A total of 45 boys in age groups corresponding to kindergarten, third grade, and sixth grade learned a 40-centimeter linear arm movement without the aid of vision. In each age group, 15 attempted to reproduce the movement using either distance, location, or distance plus location cues. (Author/RH)

Undergraduates generated names of U.S. presidents, states, or animals prior to presentation of a lists of states and presidents. Last recall was tested after 15 minutes or one day. Recall from the mobilized category exceeded recall from the nonmobilized category regardless of whether subjects had previously generated items. Explanations are…

Applies a taxonomy to a review of the methods used to study mental processes in reading that divides the methods into simultaneous or successive and obtrusive or unobtrusive; the taxonomy proved useful in describing encoding and memory processes. (AEA)

Elaborative rehearsal strategies rather than nonelaborative rehearsal strategies (repetition only) discriminated between the two groups of fifth and sixth graders. The organizational ability represented in elaborative rehearsal strategies was the hypothesized mechanism responsible for the better long-term memory and total recall observed in…

Information processing research offers a solution to the ambiguity of many concepts in cognitive psychology. The author's definition of intelligence and the structure-of-intellect model offer a systematic collection of rigorously and operationally defined concepts. New evidence for discriminability of the model categories and views of memory and…

An experiment was designed to determine whether or not images are directly involved in the retrieval process. The results provided evidence for the direct involvement of images in both the encoding and retrieval processes for words. (Author/PN)

Two experiments were undertaken to evaluate the influence of automatic semantic processing of pictures on word judgments. Results indicated that (1) perceptual factors influence responding in these types of tasks, (2) picture processing can facilitate word processing in some circumstances, and (3) incompatible background pictures can interfere…

Describes the development of a memory assessment instrument, the Perceptual Memory Test (PMT), which allows the nonverbal evaluation of various memory modalities. Compares the PMT with the Iowa Test of Musical Literacy and concludes that memory in a general sense might be important in performance on a musical assessment device. (FL)

Presents study in which attempts by children to learn a number of new words revealed that their recall errors were similar to phonological deformations found in speech of young children in early stages of language development. Suggests role of memory needs to be taken into consideration. (Author/BK)

Argues that, although Piaget's seminal work on children's use of intention and consequence information to make moral evaluations has spawned a substantial amount of research, progress in this area has been hampered by serious conceptual and methodological problems. Offers some methodological guidelines for conducting research in this area.…

The results of this study disconfirm the predictions of the decay hypothesis because long-term recency effects appear to result from the use of contextually based retrieval cues. Long-term recency effects were attenuated on immediate recognition tests, while long-term recency effects were found on free recall tests. (DWH)

Used semistructured interviews to identify memory strategies used by 35 older adults. Asked participants to describe the strategies they would use for various activities. Results indicated (1) the elderly may have limited repertoires of alternative memory strategies, and (2) the types of materials used can significantly affect their performance.…