Mechanisms of Analogical Reminding and Priming

[9310614 . HOLYOAK]这项研究将探讨类比相似性在指导记忆中存储的先前经验的检索中的作用。类比相似性取决于情境基础结构的重叠，例如两个故事的共同主题或两个不同问题的共同目标结构。这种“深度”相似可以与更肤浅的重叠区分开来，比如故事中相似的人物和事件，或者涉及问题的相似对象。先前的研究表明，对记忆的获取受到这种表面相似性的强烈影响，但通常未能找到证据表明，深层的相似性可以让一种情况触发对另一种情况的提醒。这个项目将使用各种更敏感的方法来确定人类记忆是否以及何时受到复杂情况之间的深层和表面相似性的引导。不同类型的相似性的影响将通过实验来调查，在实验中，大学生在一个不明显会进行记忆测试的背景下处理一系列故事。经过几分钟到一周不等的延迟后，受试者将被提示与记忆中的目标故事相似关系不同的其他故事。在某些情况下，一个线索将与内存中的多个目标故事相关。在记忆中存在多个相关目标所引发的检索竞争（这种情况更符合日常经验，是以往研究中使用的范式）将大大提高提醒对类比相似性的敏感性。其他实验将使用更间接的方法来确定哪些类型的相似性会影响信息自发处理的方式。这些研究将决定阅读一个深层、表层或两者都相似的故事，是否会使后续故事更容易理解，或减少阅读和理解所需的时间。这些实验将为几个相关主题提供重要的知识。目前很少有记忆提取模型能够解释深度相似对提醒的影响。如果该项目揭示类比相似性确实影响记忆访问，这一证据将对任何关于复杂知识在人类记忆中表示和从人类记忆中获取的方式的充分理论施加重要约束。研究结果还将为设计更符合心理现实的基于计算机的记忆提取模型提供指导。此外，对类比相似性的敏感性可以为解决问题的灵活学习和迁移提供基础。因此，研究结果很可能对培训和教育产生重要影响。＊＊＊

9310614 HOLYOAK This research will investigate the role of analogical similarity in guiding retrieval of previous experiences stored in memory. Analogical similarity depends on overlap in the underlying structure of situations, such as a common theme shared by two stories or a common goal structure underlying two different problems. Such "deep" similarities can be distinguished from more superficial types of overlap, such as similar characters and events in stories or similar objects involved in problems. Previous research has shown that access to memories is strongly influenced by such surface similarities, but has generally failed to find evidence that deeper types of similarity can allow one situation to trigger reminding of another. This project will use a variety of more sensitive measures to determine whether and when human memory is guided by deep as well as superficial similarities between complex situations. The influences of different types of similarity will be investigated by experiments in which college students process a series of stories in a context that does not make it apparent that a memory test will follow. After a delay ranging from a few minutes to a week, the subjects will be cued with other stories that differ in their similarity relations to the target stories in memory. In some cases a cue will be related to multiple target stories in memory. It is expected that the retrieval competition triggered by having multiple related targets in memory (a situation more in keeping with everyday experience that is the paradigm used in previous studies) will greatly improve the sensitivity of reminding to analogical similarity. Other experiments will use more indirect measures to determine which types of similarity influence the way in which information is processed spontaneously. These studies will determine whether reading a story that is similar at a deep level, a surface level, or both, will render a subsequent story more comprehens ible, or decrease the time required to read and understand it. These experiments will provide knowledge important for several related topics. Few current models of memory retrieval can account for an influence of deep similarity on reminding. If the project reveals that analogical similarity indeed influences memory access, this evidence would place important constraints on any adequate theory of the way complex knowledge is represented in and accessed from human memory. The results will also provide guidance for efforts to devise more psychologically realistic computer-based models of memory retrieval. In addition, sensitivity to analogical similarity can provide a basis for flexible learning and transfer in problem solving. The results are therefore likely to have important implications for training and education. ***