Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Forward and backward recall: different response time patterns, same retrieval order.

John G Thomas1, Haley R Milner, Karl F Haberlandt

  • 1Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA.

Psychological Science
|March 29, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Rationale and protocol for time-based energy intake goals within an obesity care lifestyle intervention: Daily eating patterns for total health study.

Contemporary clinical trials·2026
Same author

Prospective Associations between Attitudes toward Sweet Foods, Sugar Consumption, and Cravings for Alcohol and Sweets in Early Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorders.

Alcoholism treatment quarterly·2021
Same author

Rationale and protocol for translating basic habituation research into family-based childhood obesity treatment: Families becoming healthy together study.

Contemporary clinical trials·2020
Same author

Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tubes Cleaned With a Mechanism for Secretion Removal.

Respiratory care·2018
Same author

Application of Machine Learning to Predict Dietary Lapses During Weight Loss.

Journal of diabetes science and technology·2018
Same author

Self-stigma and weight loss: The impact of fear of being stigmatized.

Journal of health psychology·2017
Same journal

How Does the Mind Grow? Cross-Cultural Intuitive Theories of Mental Development.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Not All Practice Is Created Equal: Longitudinal Evidence From Over 40,000 Chess Players.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Eye Glint as a Novel Perceptual Cue in Human Vision.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Multitarget Visual Search Flexibly Switches Between Concurrent and Sequential Search Modes.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Motive Alignment Promotes Adolescents' Proenvironmental Behavior: A Field Experiment in Two Cultures.

Psychological science·2026
Same journal

Retributive Sentiments Track Both Deterrent and Compensatory Concerns in a Small-Scale Society and a WEIRD Sample.

Psychological science·2026
See all related articles

This study reveals differences in how people recall information. Forward recall is faster and more consistent, while backward recall is slower and more complex, suggesting a forward search strategy is used in both directions.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Memory Research
  • Information Retrieval Studies

Background:

  • Understanding information retrieval is crucial for cognitive science.
  • Serial recall tasks are widely used to study memory retrieval processes.
  • Existing models of memory retrieval do not fully explain directional recall asymmetries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the differences in information retrieval between forward and backward recall.
  • To analyze response times as a function of serial position and list length in directional recall.
  • To provide empirical data that can inform theoretical models of memory retrieval.

Main Methods:

  • Participants memorized word lists of varying lengths (four to six words).
  • Response times were recorded as participants entered words via keyboard.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Recall direction (forward or backward) was determined after word presentation (postcued).

    • Main Results:

    • Response times showed significant directional asymmetry.
    • Forward recall response times peaked at the first position and then stabilized.
    • Backward recall was slower than forward recall, exhibiting an inverse U-shaped pattern.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings suggest distinct mechanisms for forward and backward serial recall.
    • Backward recall may involve repeated covert forward recall cycles.
    • Both forward and backward recall likely utilize a forward search strategy.