Automatic Mediation or Absence of Mediation? Commentary on Crutcher and Ericsson (2000).

Abstract

R. J. Crutcher and K. A. Ericsson (2000; see record 2000-05419-014) showed that subjects stopped reporting mnemonic mediation in a recall task after sufficient practice. They concluded that subjects continued to use the mediator indefinitely but that its execution eventually became automatic and no longer required access to working memory. Their article thus supports the more general hypothesis that multistep cognition can take place without awareness. In this article the authors evaluate that conclusion on both conceptual and empirical grounds and report results of a new experiment that indicate that a qualitative shift to direct, unmediated recall can occur for at least some tasks.

Effects of repeated retrieval on keyword mediator use: shifting to direct retrieval predicts better learning outcomes

“…Third, a shift from mediated to direct retrieval during practice predicted better word retention over time: words that were retrieved directly, without mediators during practice were more likely to be recalled correctly on a test one week after practice. This is in line with suggestions that direct memory associations can be reactivated more easily, because fewer interim steps are needed and thus the chance for activation of competing, irrelevant information is lower (Lehman et al, 2014;McElree, 2001;Rickard & Bajic, 2003). The present data did not show a relation between the moment of shift during practice and word retention, however.…”

“…The main focus in prior research has been on the effects of the keyword method on recall accuracy, both during practice and on later performance tests (e.g., Adams & McIntyre, 1967;Atkinson, 1975;Atkinson & Raugh, 1975;Fritz et al, 2007;Rickard & Bajic, 2003, 2006. The present study taps more directly into the mental processes during word learning with keyword mediators.…”

“…Second, we expected most shifts to occur between 5 and 10 retrieval repetitions, based on previous findings by Kole and Healy (2013). Third, words that shifted to direct retrieval during practice were expected to be recalled more accurately on a retention test than words for which retrieval remained mediated during practice, because direct form-meaning associations are thought to be more stable and less error prone (McElree, 2001;Rickard & Bajic, 2003) and selective cuetarget associations might increase the likelihood of recalling the correct target information (e.g., Karpicke et al, 2014;Lehman et al, 2014).…”

“…Skill acquisition models, like the direct access model (Rickard & Bajic, 2003) and the identical elements model (Rickard & Bajic, 2006), propose that reduction in keyword mediator use with practice is due to the establishment of direct form-meaning associations in memory. A possible explanation for these changes is the episodic context account of testing effects (Karpicke et al, 2014).…”

Transfer of training in alphabet arithmetic

“…As this retrieval-induced interference effect had previously been shown to be induced by number-fact retrieval practice but not by practice of arithmetic procedures (Campbell & Therriault, 2013), Campbell et al suggested that the arithmetically superior Chinese participants might solve small addition problems by fast procedures whereas the Canadians used number-fact retrieval. Despite these seemingly converging sources of evidence for fast addition procedures, there appears to be little evidence outside of the addition domain to support the idea that mediational strategies for associative learning become proceduralized with practice (see, e.g., Kole & Healy, 2013;Rickard & Bajic, 2003). Furthermore, as we discuss next, repeated attempts have failed to demonstrate a basic behavioral prediction of counting procedures for simple addition.…”