Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Spatial context, which is known to play an important role in human learning, is reduced by many telecommunications media, particularly television. Laboratory studies with specially prepared video materials have shown that augmenting spatial context by using multiple monitors, each for a different subject matter element, can improve message retention. We attempted to apply these experimental techniques to a standard public affairs television production, a program in the MacNeil-Lehrer Report series. A microcomputer, using cue signals on the sound track of the videocassette, switched each of the six program participants to a separate monitor. Although the production techniques used in the TV program did not allow the consistent assignment of unique spatial context for each participant, our methods for improving spatial context at the receiving end of the program resulted in more accurate attribution of statements to speakers than the standard one-monitor viewing condition.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ANDERSON, J. R. and G. J. BOWER (1973) Human-Associative Memory. Washington, DC: Winston.

HASHER, L. and R. T. ZACKS (1979) "Automatic and effortful processes in memory." J. of Experimental Psychology 108: 356-388.

MANDLER, J. M. , D. SEEGMILLER , and J. DAY (1977) "On the coding of spatial information." Memory & Cognition 5: 10-16.

ROTHKOPF, E. Z. (1971) "Incidental memory for location of information in text." J. of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 10: 608-613.

ROTHKOPF, E. Z. (1957) "A measure of stimulus similarity and errors in paired-associate learning." J. of Experimental Psychology 53: 94-101.

ROTHKOPF, E. Z. D. G. FISHER , and M. J. BILLINGTON (1982)"Effects of spatial contextduring acquisition on the recall of attributive information." J. of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory 8: 126-138.

SCHULMAN, A. I. and T. J. STIFFLER (1980) "Awareness of' whereness': the role of place in association learning." Presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, St. Louis, Missouri.

SHIFFRIN, R. M. and W. SCHNEIDER (1977) "Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending, and a general theory." Psych. Rev. 84: 127-190.

SMITH, S. M. (forthcoming) "Enhancement of recall using multiple environmental contexts during learning."

10.

SMITH, S. M. (1979) "Remembering in and out of context." J. of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory 5: 460-471.

11.

SMITH, S. M. , A. GLENBERG , and R. A. BJORK (1978) "Environmental context and human memory." Memory & Cognition 6: 342-353.

12.

YATES, F. A. (1974) The Art of Memory. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.

13.

ZECHMEISTER, E. B. and J. McKILLIP (1972) "Recall of place on the page." J. of Educational Psychology 63: 446-453.

Effects of Enhanced Spatial Context on Television Message Retention

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References