Distortions in Immediate Memory

Abstract

A series of five pairs of abstract geometrical figures were presented to each subject. Unknown to the subjects, the members of each pair were identical. The second member was presented 10 seconds after the first member and the subject then judged whether a specified feature of the figure had changed in one of two possible directions. One group of 32 subjects were not told which feature of the figure would be critical until presentation of the second member: a further group of 32 subjects were given this information before presentation of the first member. Subjects in both groups were significantly consistent with one another in some of their judgements, thus indicating that distortions in remembering had occurred. It is argued that memory distortions of this type (for which previous evidence has been unsatisfactory) are of particular interest since, unlike other memory changes, they are difficult to ascribe to the constructive or inferential character of recognition and recall.

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