Catching a rabbit with a tetrahedron: A contextualist approach

Abstract

A defining characteristic of Jim Jenkins’ long and productive research career was his ability to reconcile contradictory experimental evidence within a coherent conceptual framework that leads to novel insights and experimental approaches. Grounded in the deep knowledge of history of psychology, Jim’s involvement and expertise in different aspects of human behavior, including language, speech, memory, attention, visual, and auditory perception, resulted in important theoretical breakthroughs (and countless stimulating discussions). One such work is the tetrahedral model of memory experiments. It considers four large clusters of experimental variables: subjects, materials, scoring tasks, and testing procedures, whose mutual interactions determine experimental outcomes. [J.J. Jenkins “Four points to remember: A tetrahedral model of memory experiments,” in Levels of Processing in Human Memory, ed. LS Cermak, FIM Craik, (1979)]. Initially proposed to account for inconsistent findings of memory experiments, the model's applications have expanded to other areas of perceptual training and education as a guide to maximize learning outcomes. Following Jim’s lead, I will illustrate how the tetrahedral model can (1) improve the understanding of research findings from two ecologically significant sound classes, speech and environmental sounds, in normal hearing and cochlear implant listeners, and (2) guide the design of effective auditory training programs.