Human Memory: The Processing of Information

Description

Over the past 20 years, the study of human memory has become an increasingly popular topic of study for psychologists, and since the late 1960s a new framework for studying memory has begun to take shape. It is the purpose of this book to present a broad overview of this framework, including descriptions of (1) the major theoretical components of the framework and (2) the critical research findings that justify the establishment of these components and illuminate the mechanisms by which they operate. The book is not meant to constitute an exhaustive review of the enormous research literature that has accrued over the years. The authors deliberately avoid wading into masses of detail on any given topic area, and we deliberately sidestep a number of current theoretical controversies. Instead, this book has been planned to be a guide and an introduction for the student or interested layman with little or no background in the area of memory as a field of psychological inquiry. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface 1: Introduction The Information-Processing Approach A Model of Memory 2: Sensory Store Iconic Store Echoic Store Type of Information Stores in Sensory Store Transfer of Information from Sensory Store to Short-Term Store Summary 3: Short-Term Store Rationale for a Dichotomous Memory Forgetting from Short-Term Store Capacity of Short-Term Store Form of Information Stored in Short-Term Store Retrieval of Information from Short-Term Store Summary 4: Long-Term Memory for New Material Entry of Information into Long-Term Store: Rehearsal Maintenance Rehearsal versus Elaborative Rehearsal Organization Type of Information in Long-Term Store Forgetting from Long-Term Store Forgetting as Retrieval Failure Retrieval Failure versus Interference Theory: One Possible Test Summary 5: Recognition Memory Types of Recognition Tests Recall versus Recognition: Level of Performance Other Recall–Recognition Differences Theories of Recognition Memory Summary 6: Long-Term Memory for Meaningful Material Form versus Meaning Reconstructive Processes Summary 7: Semantic Memory Retrieval of Information from Semantic Memory Models of Semantic Memory Semantic Memory: A Final Comment Summary 8: Practical Applications Cognitive Tasks as Diagnostic Tests Education Human Engineering Law Summary References Author Index Subject Index