Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Association between Memory Errors and Errors due to Acoustic Masking of Speech

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE concept of spontaneous decay of memory traces is deeply rooted in the history of psychology1. Except for the most general statement2,3, the nature of the decay process remains an obscure feature of the borderline between neurology and psychology. Experimental work in this area4,5 has been concerned with quantitative aspects of recall, and the nature of changes in the memory trace has been neglected in the most easily controlled immediate memory situation. This involves no more than the recall and immediate reproduction of a perceived, but no longer present, stimulus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Woodworth, R. S., Experimental Psychology (Henry Holt and Co., New York, 1938).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Burns, B. D., The Mammalian Cerebral Cortex (Edward Arnold, Ltd., London, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sholl, D. A., The Organization of the Cerebral Cortex (Methuen, London, 1956).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brown, J., Quart. J. Exp. Psychol., 10, 12 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Conrad, R., and Hille, B. A., Canad. J. Psychol., 12, 1 (1958).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gregory, R. L., in Cherry, C., Information Theory (Butterworths Scientific Publications, London, 1956).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hebb, D. O., The Organization of Behaviour (Wiley, London, 1949).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Psychology Research Unit, Medical Research Council, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge

    R. CONRAD

Authors
  1. R. CONRAD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CONRAD, R. An Association between Memory Errors and Errors due to Acoustic Masking of Speech. Nature 193, 1314–1315 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/1931314a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1931314a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation