A theory of interpretive clustering in free recall
This work addresses memory research by providing a model for free-recall phenomena, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing theories and data.
The authors tackled the problem of modeling short-term verbal memory by proposing a stochastic diffusion model on a semantic graph, which predicts a novel relationship between the contiguity effect and syllabic length, confirmed through analysis of archival data.
A stochastic model of short-term verbal memory is proposed, in which the psychological state of the subject is encoded as the instantaneous position of a particle diffusing over a semantic graph with a probabilistic structure. The model is particularly suitable for studying the dependence of free-recall observables on semantic properties of the words to be recalled. Besides predicting some well-known experimental features (contiguity effect, forward asymmetry, word-length effect), a novel prediction is obtained on the relationship between the contiguity effect and the syllabic length of words; shorter words, by way of their wider semantic range, are predicted to be characterized by stronger forward contiguity. A fresh analysis of archival data allows to confirm this prediction.