Three studies explored whether younger and older adults' free recall performance can benefit from prior exposure to distraction that becomes relevant in a memory task. Participants initially read stories that included distracting text. Later, they studied a list of words for free recall, with half of the list consisting of previously distracting…

Describes two experiments testing reports that subjects presented with outcome feedback are unable to remember their original knowledge state. Claims that while the first experiment confirmed the reports, the second indicated that feedback information is not automatically assimilated, and that prior knowledge state can be recalled when the…

The results of these two studies support the general proposition that retention is critically dependent on factors determined at acquisition. (Author)

A perspective, based on an elaboration of Underwood's (1969) attributes model of memory, is advanced which proposes that for all types of information both detailed and thematic attributes are stored. Two experiments using prose passages as stimulus materials test this proposal. (Editor/RK)

The present experiment uses a variation of the repeti design of Hebb (1961) to ask the question of the fate of individual items in the Brown-Peterson task at a time when, if interference does indeed dissipate, the old items that produce interference should no longer be available to compete with new items. (Author)