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Drawing enhances item information but undermines sequence information in memory.
Tanya R Jonker1, Jeffrey D Wammes1, Colin M MacLeod1
1Department of Psychology.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|September 14, 2018
Summary
Drawing enhances memory for individual words, but not their order. This drawing effect is stronger when mixed with other tasks, suggesting drawing aids item recall but hinders sequence memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- The drawing effect demonstrates improved word recall after drawing compared to writing.
- The underlying mechanisms of the drawing effect on memory encoding remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the roles of item and order information in the drawing effect.
- To compare memory performance for drawing versus silent reading.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted comparing drawing and silent reading conditions.
- Item and order memory were assessed under mixed and pure list designs.
Main Results:
- The drawing effect was significantly larger in mixed lists compared to pure lists, indicating a design effect.
- Silent reading led to better retention of studied order compared to drawing in pure lists.
Conclusions:
- The item-order account explains that drawing disrupts encoding of interitem associations, impairing sequence memory.
- Drawing is recommended for item recall, while silent reading is better for remembering sequence.
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