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Reply to Farrell and Lewandowsky: Recency-contiguity interactions predicted by the temporal context model
Marc W Howard1, Per B Sederberg, Michael J Kahana
1Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. marc@memory.syr.edu
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 26, 2009
Summary
The temporal context model (TCM) explains nonmonotonicities in memory recall, showing how list-end context and recency effects influence recall accuracy at extreme lags.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- The temporal context model (TCM) has been challenged for its ability to explain nonmonotonicities in the contiguity effect at extreme recall lags.
- Previous arguments suggested TCM could not account for these nonmonotonicities observed in memory recall studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate that the temporal context model (TCM) accurately predicts nonmonotonicities in the contiguity effect, even at extreme lags.
- To highlight the role of end-of-list context and recency effects in explaining these memory recall phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing data on the contiguity effect and recency effect in free recall tasks.
- Comparison of recall data across different conditions, including immediate, continual-distractor, and delayed free recall.
- Simulation of results using the Howard and Kahana (2002) version of the temporal context model.
Main Results:
- The temporal context model (TCM) predicts nonmonotonicities in the contiguity effect when end-of-list context acts as a retrieval cue.
- Observed nonmonotonicities in the contiguity effect interact with the recency effect, supporting TCM's predictions.
- Stronger recency effects (immediate and continual-distractor recall) showed more prominent nonmonotonicities than attenuated recency (delayed recall).
Conclusions:
- The temporal context model (TCM) successfully explains nonmonotonicities in the contiguity effect at extreme lags.
- End-of-list context plays a crucial role as a retrieval cue, influencing both recency and contiguity effects in memory recall.
- The interaction between recency and contiguity effects is a key feature predicted and observed within the framework of TCM.
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