Abstract
Past research suggests that our ability to recall information increases when atypical items are presented within otherwise homogeneous sets. We investigated whether this effect applied to performance on practical, everyday tasks. In a computer-simulated restaurant scenario, participants acted as virtual servers, delivering “plates of food orders” to tables set up in different “rooms.” Plate destination was communicated using either a distinctive alphanumeric code or a homogeneous numeric code, both of which indicated the room and table number for delivery of food orders. We examined accuracy of plate delivery when two (low load) or three (high load) coded assignments were given per delivery trial. As expected, performance declined from the low- to high-load condition. Importantly, performance declined less with alphanumeric compared with all-numeric communication of assignments. Results suggest that increasing the distinctiveness of assignments, by using alphanumeric codes, can boost performance in real-life situations to significantly improve memory-related task performance, particularly when cognitive load is taxed.
Highlights
There is no place like a restaurant for showcasing the feats and follies of human memory
While this study suggests there are methods being used by experts to improve memory in realworld situations, the authors suggest there is a need for more lab-based studies that can directly manipulate factors thought to influence memory performance
In contrast to studies of the isolation effect that have examined retention of syllables, digits, or word lists using conventional laboratory procedures, we created a simulation of a work setting in which memory was central to performance, and the form of encoding could draw upon the von Restorff effect
Summary
They received academic credit toward their psychology course for participating
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