MEMORY FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS IN CONCEPT IDENTIFICATION

Subjects attempted six concept problems, each of which was soluble on the basis of information contained in six instances (positive and negative). In any problem, S inspected the six instances, presented successively, and then stated a hypothesis about the solution. After some problems S was asked to recall freely each instance and its category. The later in the problem series the first recall test was administered, the poorer recall was; with experience Ss learn that retention of the stimulus pattern and its category is unnecessary. Recall was better on the second and subsequent tests indicating that Ss can, if necessary, retain some of the information presented. © 1969, Psychonomic Journals, Inc.. All rights reserved.