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The phonological neighbourhood effect on short-term memory for order
L Clarkson1,2, S Roodenrys1, L M Miller1
1a School of Psychology , University of Wollongong , Wollongong , NSW , Australia.
Memory (Hove, England)
|May 19, 2016
Summary
Long-term memory (LTM) aids short-term memory (STM) recall, even for item order. This study found LTM influences STM order memory, contrary to existing models.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Traditionally, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) were viewed as separate. Emerging research indicates their interdependence, with LTM potentially assisting STM retrieval.
- The influence of LTM on STM is often attributed to item memory, not order memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if LTM influences the order memory component of STM.
- To examine the phonological neighbourhood effect, an LTM-attributed phenomenon, within a task minimizing item memory demands.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments utilized serial reconstruction tasks.
- Participants (N=62) performed tasks with varying neighbourhood density (dense vs. sparse) and list types (pure vs. mixed).
- Experiment 1 manipulated neighbourhood density within lists; Experiments 2 and 3 used pure and mixed lists.
Main Results:
- A significant effect of neighbourhood density was observed: recall was better for dense than sparse neighbourhood words in pure lists.
- This effect was not significant in mixed lists.
- Performance on order memory was modulated by LTM effects.
Conclusions:
- Long-term memory appears to influence short-term memory for order.
- This influence may occur earlier in the memory process than previously proposed by many models.
- Findings challenge existing frameworks of memory for order.
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