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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

Published on: January 31, 2017

Failure to recall.

Donald Laming¹

¹Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. drjl@hermes.cam.ac.uk

Psychological Review

|January 23, 2009

Summary

Free recall experiments can lead to retrieval failure, where participants repeatedly recall the same word, preventing recall of other items. This phenomenon, termed retrieval seizure, can occur within typical recall times.

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Memory Research
Mathematical Modeling

Background:

Free recall experiments are a standard method for studying memory retrieval.
Overt rehearsal patterns during free recall provide insights into memory processes.
Previous research has documented recall performance and rehearsal strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the mathematical pattern of rehearsal in free recall.
To propose and validate a model of rehearsal patterns.
To investigate the relationship between recall, presentation time, and forgetting.

Main Methods:

Mathematical analysis of rehearsal patterns.
Validation of a proposed rehearsal model using existing empirical data (Murdock & Metcalfe, 1978; Murdock & Okada, 1970).

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The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

Published on: January 31, 2017

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

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Demonstration of long-term retrieval properties and recall-time relationships.

Main Results:

Continued rehearsal patterns can lead to a terminal state of repeatedly retrieving the same word.
This retrieval seizure can occur before all list items are recalled, leading to recall failure.
A fundamental relationship between recall performance and total presentation time was identified.

Conclusions:

The proposed model accurately represents essential features of rehearsal patterns.
Retrieval seizure explains recall failure in free recall experiments.
The study offers insights into general forgetting mechanisms by comparing them to free recall limitations.