Abstract
Shepard (1964) has devised a sequence of synthesized tones that appear to constitute a “circular” pitch dimension; each tone in the sequence appears to be higher in pitch than the preceding one, and yet the first tone also seems higher than the last. Two series of such stimuli (a six-alternative and an eight-alternative set) were used to investigate memory processes in absolute identification performance when end stimuli are unavailable as possible anchors. Clear evidence was obtained for short-term anchoring strategies in this task, but none was obtained for the stable retention of those stimuli corresponding to the ends of the response continuum. The results are examined in the light of Eriksen and Hake’s (1957) subjective-standard hypothesis.
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Costall, A., Platt, S. & Macrae, A. Memory strategies in absolute identification of “circular” pitch. Perception & Psychophysics 29, 589–593 (1981). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207376
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207376