Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Marihuana and retrieval from short-term memory

  • Published:
Psychopharmacologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Twelve subjects received an oral dose of marihuana extract calibrated to 20 mg of δ 1-tetrahydrocannibinol on Day 1 of the experiment and performed a short-term memory task before and after administration of the drug. The subjects were then split into two groups, receiving either marihuana or placebo on the evenings of Days 1 to 4 and between two memory test sessions on Day 5. Placebo subjects showed little change in performance between the two test sessions on Day 5; however, results from Day 1 for all subjects and Day 5 for the drug group showed that reaction time increased from before- to after-challenge sessions. This increase in time under marihuana was explained as a change in encoding and/or response processes, rather than processes involved in the search of the memory store.

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

  • Atkinson, R. C., Shiffrin, R. M.: Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory, vol. 2. K. W. Spence and J. T. Spence, eds. New York: Academic Press 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, R. C., Shiffrin, R. N.: The control of short-term memory. Sci. Amer. 224, 82–90 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, T. D., Hughes, R., Nakashima, E. N.: Behavorial effects of marihuana: Experimental studies. Arch. gen. Psychiat. 23, 193 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollister, T. E., Gillespie, H. K.: Marihuana, ethanol, and dextroamphetamine, mood and mental function alterations. Arch. gen. Psychiat. 23, 199–203 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Juola, J. F., Atkinson, R. C.: Memory scanning for words versus categories. J. Verb. Learn. Verb. Behav. 10, 522–527 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdock, B. B., Walker, J.: Modality effects in free recall. J. Verb. Learn. Verb. Behav. 8, 665–676 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, S.: High-speed scanning in human memory. Science 153, 652–654 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, S.: Memory scanning: Mental processes revealed by reaction time experiments. Amer. Sci. 57, 421–457 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, California

    C. F. Darley, J. R. Tinklenberg, T. E. Hollister & R. C. Atkinson

  2. Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital, 94304, Palo Alto, California

    C. F. Darley, J. R. Tinklenberg, T. E. Hollister & R. C. Atkinson

Authors
  1. C. F. Darley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. R. Tinklenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. E. Hollister
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. C. Atkinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was supported by grants MH-03030 and MH-19918-02 from the National Institute of Mental Health and a grant from the Van Ameringen Foundation. The authors thank Pat Murphy for her assistance in collecting data.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Darley, C.F., Tinklenberg, J.R., Hollister, T.E. et al. Marihuana and retrieval from short-term memory. Psychopharmacologia 29, 231–238 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00414037

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00414037

Key words

Search

Navigation