A date to remember: the nature of memory in savant calendrical calculators
A date to remember: the nature of memory in savant calendrical calculators
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DOI：
10.1017/s0033291798007776
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发表时间：
1999-01-01
影响因子：
6.9
通讯作者：
Hermelin, B
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Heavey, L;Pring, L;Hermelin, B
背景。专业的日历计算器可以快速计算出给定日期的星期几。虽然记忆被认为是这种不寻常能力的重要组成部分，但记忆功能从未系统地研究过这些有技能但学习受损的个体。研究人员将8名历算专家（其中大部分患有自闭症）与8名语言智商、年龄和诊断相匹配的对照组进行了数字和单词广度测试，并测量了单词和日历信息的长期记忆（个人年龄）。在一个与“生成效应”类似的实验中，研究人员还比较了这些学者在完成计算和学习/阅读任务后对日期的记忆。在一般短期和长期记忆的测量上，这些学者与对照组没有什么不同。然而，他们在长期记忆历法材料方面确实表现出明显的回忆优势。他们对计算日期的记忆也比那些只被研究过的人要好。一般的助记优势不能解释天才的日期计算技能。相反，通过暴露日期信息，建议专家开发一个结构化的日历相关知识库，并利用该知识库中的相互关系进行计算。自闭症的认知加工风格特征也可能在这种学者能力的习得中发挥作用。
Background. Savant calendar calculators can supply with speed the day of the week of a given date. Although memory is suggested to be an important component of this unusual ability, memory function has never been systematically investigated in these skilled yet learning impaired individuals.Methods. Eight savant calendrical calculators, most of whom had autism, were compared with eight verbal IQ, age and diagnosis matched controls on digit and word span tests and measures of long-term memory for words and calendrical information (individual years). In an analogue to the 'generation effect', the savants' memory for dates was also compared following calculation and study/read tasks.Results. The savants did not differ from controls on measures of general short- and long-term memory. They did, however, show a clear recall superiority for the long-term retention of calendrical material. They also remembered calculated dates better than those that were only studied.Conclusions. A general mnemonic advantage cannot explain savant date calculation skills. Rather, through exposure to date information, the savants are suggested to develop a structured calendar-related knowledge base with the process of calculation utilizing the interrelations within this knowledge store. The cognitive processing style characteristic of autism may also play a role in the acquisition of this savant ability.