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Benchmarks for models of short-term and working memory.
Klaus Oberauer1, Stephan Lewandowsky2, Edward Awh3
1Department of Psychology.
Psychological Bulletin
|August 28, 2018
Summary
This study proposes criteria for selecting benchmark findings in psychology, specifically for short-term and working memory research. These benchmarks aim to provide a common ground for evaluating competing theories and computational models.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mature psychological research fields, like short-term/working memory, possess extensive empirical data.
- Current theories often explain only a subset of findings, necessitating a structured approach to theory development.
- Selecting which findings to explain can be arbitrary, hindering theoretical progress.
Framework:
- Proposes criteria for identifying benchmark findings: reproducibility, generalizability, and theoretical informativeness.
- Establishes a set of benchmarks for theories and computational models of short-term and working memory.
- Benchmarks are presented in a theory-neutral manner to facilitate consensus among diverse theoretical perspectives.
Implementation:
- Benchmarks are rated by priority for explanation based on author consensus and expert surveys.
- A dedicated webpage offers an open forum for discussing and proposing new benchmarks.
- A repository for benchmark reference datasets is provided for accessibility and reproducibility.
Implications:
- Aims to reduce arbitrariness in selecting empirical data for theoretical explanation in cognitive psychology.
- Provides a foundation for more rigorous and comparative evaluation of psychological theories.
- Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and advancement in understanding memory mechanisms.
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