Primary and Secondary Memory: Multistore versus Process Models of Memory

Abstract

Healy, et al. recently distinguished between recency and "penultimate" effects when contrasting recall performance. They argued that the penultimate effect was significantly different from the typical recency effect, which point was taken as support for distinguishing between primary and secondary memory systems. The current study adapted the Healy, et al. methodology to control for the occurrence of intentional learning strategies. 40 participants were asked to recall the names of 42 U.S. Presidents by their term in office (secondary memory) or in a pseudorandom order (primary memory); the recency and penultimate effects were observed for each condition. With intentional learning controlled for, contrast analyses yielded a pattern of performance similar to that observed by Healy, et al.

Position distinctiveness, item familiarity, and presentation frequency affect reconstruction of order in immediate episodic memory☆

“…Thus, this is an intentional episodic memory task. These intentional learning instructions should promote superior performance on the reconstruction of order task without distorting the serial position functions because in a recent study Gerrard and Waring (2006) found serial position functions for an incidental episodic memory task similar to those found by Healy et al (2000) using an intentional learning procedure.…”

“…Healy et al (2000) found different functions for the two free reconstruction of order tasks, even though they both showed primacy and recency advantages (see also Healy & McNamara, 1996). It was found that the serial position function for the long-term semantic memory task had a larger recency advantage than that for the immediate episodic memory task, and there was a penultimate advantage for positions prior to the most recent for the long-term semantic memory task but not for the immediate episodic task (see also Gerrard & Waring, 2006). This finding led Healy, Havas, and Parker (2000) to dispute the position distinctiveness explanation for the serial position function in the long-term semantic memory task in favor of an explanation based on the familiarity of the presidents or the frequency of exposure to relevant order information.…”