Wright, A.A.(2007).
An experimental analysis of memory processing.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 88, 405-433.
Rhesus monkeys were trained and tested in visual and auditory list-memory tasks with sequences of four travel
pictures or four natural/environmental sounds followed by single test items. Acquisitions of the visual
list-memory task are presented. Visual recency (last item) memory diminished with retention delay, and primacy
(first item) memory strengthened. Capuchin monkeys, pigeons, and humans showed similar visual-memory changes.
Rhesus learned an auditory memory task and showed octave generalization for some lists of notes—tonal, but not
atonal, musical passages. In contrast with visual list memory, auditory primacy memory diminished with delay and
auditory recency memory strengthened. Manipulations of interitem intervals, list length, and item presentation
frequency revealed proactive and retroactive inhibition among items of individual auditory lists. Repeating
visual items from prior lists produced interference (on nonmatching tests) revealing how far back memory
extended. The possibility of using the interference function to separate familiarity vs. recollective memory
processing is discussed.
Key words: memory, inhibition, interference, SPFs, familiarity, pigeons, humans, monkeys