Encoding specificity: a reply to Croker (1981)
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

A Within-Subject Experimental Design using an Object Location Task in Rats
Published on: May 6, 2021
1Louisiana State University, LA, USA.
Abstract:
Crocker's (1981) comment on the Lee and Hirota (1980) paper essentially raises two issues. First, objection is made to the applicability of the encoding specificity principle to the resuits found in our study. Second, on a more general level, Crocker questions the heuristic value of utilizing theoretical issues in non-motor domains to guide scientific experimentation in the study of motor behavior. In this reply I posit that Crocker's reservations about encoding specificity are based upon improper theoretical and methodological considerations. Regarding the more philosophical issue however, I argue that Crocker's view may be counterproductive to progress in the area of memory research.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
Correspondence Bias
Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
Dose-Response Relationship: Selectivity and Specificity
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Nonconscious Mimicry

