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 Concept Videos

Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory01:22

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of information more...
Storage01:23

Storage

A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze each...
Long-Term Memory01:18

Long-Term Memory

Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
Optimal Arousal Theory01:23

Optimal Arousal Theory

The optimal arousal theory suggests that performance is maximized when an individual experiences a moderate level of arousal. This theory is closely tied to the Yerkes-Dodson law, which illustrates an inverted U-shaped relationship between arousal and performance. The law, formulated by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, implies an ideal arousal level for optimal performance, and deviations from this level can lead to declines in effectiveness.
Inverted U-Shaped Performance Curve
The...
Retrieval01:12

Retrieval

Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Signatures of adaptive memory search: How early linguistic input shapes strategic use of lexical information.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same author

Should I stay or should I go with them?

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

The role of signal in saltatory pursuit of cryptic stationary targets.

Movement ecology·2025
Same author

Switching, fast and slow: Deciphering the dynamics of memory search, its brain connectivity patterns, and its role in creativity.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Concrete language enhances sharing of social media posts on Twitter, Reddit, and experimentally.

Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)·2025
Same author

Network Analysis of Autistic Language Learners Along the Small World Spectrum.

Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research·2025
Same journal

Perception and action as one: Re-integrating research on human action through event files.

Psychological review·2026
Same journal

Associative learning explains "intuitive statistics" in animals.

Psychological review·2026
Same journal

A reciprocal model of practice and skill: Navigating between dropout and expertise.

Psychological review·2026
Same journal

The relative psychometric function: A general analysis framework for relating psychological processes.

Psychological review·2026
Same journal

A taxonomy of discriminatory behavior.

Psychological review·2026
Same journal

Extreme-value signal detection theory for recognition memory: The parametric road not taken.

Psychological review·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Optimal foraging in semantic memory.

Thomas T Hills1, Michael N Jones, Peter M Todd

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, England. t.t.hills@warwick.ac.uk

Psychological Review
|February 15, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Humans search memory using dynamic strategies similar to animal foraging. Memory search shows local patches and transitions consistent with optimal foraging policies, leading to better recall.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Human memory search may share principles with animal spatial foraging.
  • Both involve searching within "patchy" environments with limited resources.
  • Domain-general cognitive search processes are increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if human memory search employs dynamic local-to-global strategies.
  • To determine if these strategies align with optimal foraging theory.
  • To compare dynamic vs. non-dynamic memory search models.

Main Methods:

  • Participants recalled animal names within a 3-minute timeframe.
  • Memory search was modeled using the BEAGLE model and associative memory search principles.
  • The semantic search space was analyzed for local structure and transitions.

Main Results:

  • Evidence of local structure (patches) and patch depletion in memory search was found.
  • Dynamic local-to-global search transitions were observed and outperformed static models.
  • The timing of these transitions aligned with the marginal value theorem.

Conclusions:

  • Human memory search exhibits dynamic, local-to-global strategies akin to optimal spatial foraging.
  • Consistency with optimal foraging policies correlates with increased memory recall.
  • This suggests a shared underlying principle for search across different domains.