TRANSFORMATIONS ON SETS IN SHORT-TERM MEMORY SET SIZE REDUCTION BY DELETION

Examined the ability of 16 undergraduates to delete items from a memorized set in a short-term recognition memory task. A 1st (positive) set of 4 different items was followed by a 2nd (deletion) set. Items in the 2nd set that were identical to items in the 1st set were to be deleted from the 1st set. A test stimulus was presented following the last item to be deleted, and S made a positive response if the test element was identical to any item in the set of items that remained positive and a negative response otherwise. RT to the test item indicated that (a) Ss performed a deletion operation, and (b) deletion was most difficult when the 2nd set was composed of both items to be deleted and items not present in the 1st set. Results were examined in terms of strategies of memory search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.