A fragmentation hypothesis of memory: Cued recall of pictures and of sequential position

Abstract

Examined (a) whether the interrelationships of different components in memory are reflexive or asymmetric and (b) how the components interact when more than one is used as a cue for recall. Memory for series of items whose objective components were statistically independent of one another was examined. The items were color photographs which each depicted a particular object (e.g., a cup) of a particular color (e.g., yellow) in a particular location (e.g., the top left corner of the backdrop); the photograph also occurred in a particular sequential position of course (e.g., as the 2nd photograph of a series). After a filled 25-sec delay, recall of each item was assessed using 1, 2, or 3 of these 4 components as cue for the remainder. A fragmentation hypothesis is suggested to account for the results concerning the visual attributes. This postulates that a memory trace corresponds to a fragment of a perceived situation. A fragment can be excited by the provision of a single constituent as cue: Recall is therefore reflexive, and the cuing of a memory by several of its constituents is no more effective than that by a single one. Sequential position did not conform to the fragmentation hypothesis, correct recall being more likely when sequential position was used as a cue for another component than when it was itself cued for. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1976 American Psychological Association.