Primary and Secondary Memory: Multistore versus Process Models of Memory

Abstract

Healy, et al. recently distinguished between recency and "penultimate" effects when contrasting recall performance. They argued that the penultimate effect was significantly different from the typical recency effect, which point was taken as support for distinguishing between primary and secondary memory systems. The current study adapted the Healy, et al. methodology to control for the occurrence of intentional learning strategies. 40 participants were asked to recall the names of 42 U.S. Presidents by their term in office (secondary memory) or in a pseudorandom order (primary memory); the recency and penultimate effects were observed for each condition. With intentional learning controlled for, contrast analyses yielded a pattern of performance similar to that observed by Healy, et al.