Further differentiating item and order information in semantic memory: students’ recall of words from the “CU Fight Song”, Harry Potter book titles, and Scooby Doo theme song

Abstract

University of Colorado (CU) students were tested for both order and item information in their semantic memory for the "CU Fight Song". Following an earlier study by Overstreet and Healy [(2011). Item and order information in semantic memory: Students' retention of the "CU fight song" lyrics. Memory & Cognition, 39, 251-259. doi: 10.3758/s13421-010-0018-3 ], a symmetrical bow-shaped serial position function (with both primacy and recency advantages) was found for reconstructing the order of the nine lines in the song, whereas a function with no primacy advantage was found for recalling a missing word from each line. This difference between order and item information was found even though students filled in missing words without any alternatives provided and missing words came from the beginning, middle, or end of each line. Similar results were found for CU students' recall of the sequence of Harry Potter book titles and the lyrics of the Scooby Doo theme song. These findings strengthen the claim that the pronounced serial position function in semantic memory occurs largely because of the retention of order, rather than item, information.

Three Semantic Serial Position Functions at the Same Time

“…Previous research has demonstrated serial position functions, with their characteristic primacy and recency effects, in a number of different tasks that are thought to tap semantic as opposed to episodic memory (Crowder, 1993; Healy et al, 2000; Healy & Parker, 2001; Kelley et al, 2013, 2014, 2015; Maylor, 2002; Neath & Saint-Aubin, 2011; Overstreet & Healy, 2011; Overstreet et al, in press; Roediger & Crowder, 1976; Roediger & DeSoto, 2014). The results reported here extend these results in two ways: First, three more dimensions have been found that produce serial position functions and error gradients.…”

“…For example, Roediger and Crowder (1976; see also Crowder, 1993; Healy, Havas, & Parker, 2000; Healy & Parker, 2001; Neath & Saint-Aubin, 2011; Roediger & DeSoto, 2014) asked subjects to place presidents in order of terms of office. Similarly, Maylor (2002; see also Kelley, Neath, & Surprenant, 2013; Overstreet & Healy, 2011; Overstreet, Healy, & Neath, in press) asked subjects to place verses of a hymn in order. However, ordinal position is not the only possible dimension.…”

Throw Away What You've Heard About Learning Styles, With Megan Sumeracki, PhD

“…Cognitive psychologists have established that even young children can differentiate between historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and fantasy characters like Harry Potter (Corriveau, Kim, Schwalen, & Harris, 2009), but the "unreal" status of Harry Potter has not prevented cognitive researchers from availing themselves of the unique opportunities provided by the popularity of this series. Researchers have demonstrated, for example, that even preschool-aged children recognize that Harry Potter's glasses would be worth more than the glasses of a noncelebrity (Gelman, Frazier, Noles, Manczak, & Stilwell, 2015) and several researchers have studied the serial position effect as it occurs in participants' recollection of the book titles (Kelley, Neath, & Surprenant, 2013, 2014Overstreet, Healy, & Neath, 2017).…”