The effects of arousal on verbal learning and memory are presently controversial. Investigators using different definitions of arousal, different tasks, and different methods have (as one would expect) produced different findings in the literature: (a) Arousal during acquisition leads to poor immediate but better delayed recall; (b) Arousal during…

A Markov model was proposed to account for the short-term retention of the spatial arrangement of letters. The model was fit to three spatial location recall conditions in experiments which differed in distractor task. The rate of information transfer from primary to secondary memory was affected by changes in distractor task. (SW)

A case is made for the construction of nomothetic theories that can also explain individual differences. The discussion uses examples from the memory area and presents an approach to memory that explains individual findings and individual differences in the context of a single model. (SLD)

The "property-set model" is proposed for concept learning and subsequent recognition and classification of old and new exemplars. In an experimental evaluation of alternative models, the property-set model was the best predictor of both recognition and classification performance. (Author/RM)

Some salient concepts derived from the information sciences and currently used in theories of human memory are critically reviewed. The application of automata theory is proposed as a new approach in this field. The approach is illustrated by applying it to verbal memory. (Author)

This book presents a description of a new theory of memory which departs from existing concepts. It integrates and explains in detail the recent research findings in sentence memory, language comprehension, search on long term memory, verbal learning, and forgetting and imagery. It also reports new experiments which clarify these issues. A major…

Five experiments were conducted that illustrate microprocesses of discourse comprehension related to foregrounding. An intermediate case in which prior memories exist but must be reinstated to active memory was studied in detail. (SW)