The role of lexical factors in short-term ordered recall

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One of the most fundamental function that memory performs is to allow the past to support and guide our present interactions with the world. Historically, current cognitive operations were modeled by calling upon a dedicated memory system, like the working memory system (Baddeley, 1986), and theorizing was largely divorced from work done in other areas of memory. However, over the last two decades, the contribution of lexical-semantic properties of words to immediate memory has been well documented (e.g., Thorn & Page, 2009). Originally, the hypotheses called upon to account for the influence of lexical-semantic factors suggested that their influence was limited to recall process and to item information. Recently, however, another class of models is becoming increasingly influential. Those models suggest that semantic and lexical representations are more closely related to short-term recall than suggested earlier and can affect both item and order information. In the context of those models, we recently proposed a theoretical framework called ANet for Activated Network view (Poirier, Saint-Aubin, Mair, Tehan, & Tolan, in press). The current research program aims to conduct a systematic investigation of the ANet framework. More specifically, with my students, through four lines of research, we will test key predictions of ANet with regards to order information recall. First, the level of activation of lexical-semantic representations will be manipulated to induce specific order errors as predicted by ANet. For the second line of research, we will test the impact of lexical-semantic representations on order information recall by interfering with them through a novel task recently proposed by Acheson et al. (2011). In the third line of research, we will use a backward recall procedure to further test ANet and to generate critical data for evaluating memory models accounting for performance in this paradigm. Finally, we will seek converging support for ANet by using an individual differences approach. This research program has strong anticipated theoretical significance, as it will produce critical data for evaluating ANet and alternative accounts in the field as well as providing the foundation for developing a full model linking immediate memory to long-term representations. The proposed research program is also custom tailored for training highly qualified personnel by allowing students at all levels of training to take part in it.