Directed Forgetting in Context

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a theory of directed forgetting, emphasizing the role of attention in the delayed matching-to-sample paradigm and the context at the time of the test for retention. The sample and comparison stimuli are presented on the same key separated by a delay interval. At the beginning of each trial, a red or green color is randomly presented on the key as the sample stimulus. The discriminative stimuli predicting the occurrence (R-cue) or cancellation (F-cue) of the comparison stimuli are introduced immediately following the sample stimulus. A vertical line presented on the key serves as an R-cue, and a white horizontal line serves as the F-cue. The dependent variable is a discrimination ratio based on the rate of response during the comparison stimulus on matching and nonmatching trials. In the test for directed forgetting, probe trials are introduced in which the F-cue is followed by the comparison stimulus. The robust size of the directed-forgetting phenomenon suggests the operation of potent psychological processes.