A spatial modality effect in serial memory.
In 2 experiments, the authors tested whether the classical modality effect-that is, the stronger recency effect for auditory items relative to visual items-can be extended to the spatial domain. An order reconstruction task was undertaken with four types of material: visual-spatial, auditory-spatial, visual-verbal, and auditory-verbal. Similar serial position curves were obtained regardless of the nature of the to-be-remembered sequences, with the exception that a modality effect was found with spatial as well as with verbal materials. The results are discussed with regard to a number of models of short-term memory.
Tremblay
Sébastien
S
Ecole de psychologie, Universite Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada. sebastien.tremblay@psy.ulaval.ca
Parmentier
Fabrice B R
FB
Guérard
Katherine
K
Nicholls
Alastair P
AP
Jones
Dylan M
DM
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology