Text relations and recall based on fuzzy trace theory

Abstract

Fuzzy trace theory makes a number of claims about the nature of how information is processed, stored and recalled. Brainerd and Reyna (1990) describe fuzzy trace theory as a system in which fuzzy traces serve as the basis of recall and are created by a compound process: raw incoming information is said to undergo a reduction to essential and is encoded for storage based on this processed result, rather than the information in its raw form. In this article, we present a process for transforming texts into quasi mental clusters (QMCs) based on the fuzzy trace theory. The process is interpreted as a particular transformation of a given set of discourse segments and concepts by examining two main types of textual continuity. The model is tested using children's stories and simulation results attest its validity. These clusters are better retained over time and can be regarded as chunks of knowledge extracted from discourses.