Abstract
Previous research has shown that memory-recall performance is correlated with domain expertise. In this study, a process control system was selected as a vehicle for conducting research on memory recall. The primary purposes of the present work were to determine if the classic expertise effects originally obtained in chess generalize to this novel-domain and to evaluate the validity of memory recall as a measure of display effectiveness. Experts and novices viewed dynamic event sequences showing the behavior of a thermal-hydraulic system with two different displays, one that only contained information about thephysical components in the system (P) and another that also contained information about higher orderfunctional variables (P+F). There were three types of trials: normal, where the system was operating correctly; fault, where a single fault was introduced; and random, where the system’s behavior did not obey physical laws. On each trial, subjects were asked to recall the final state of the system and to diagnose the system state. The P+F display resulted in superior diagnosis performance compared with the P display. With regard to memory, there was some evidence of an interaction between trial type and expertise, with experts outperforming novices but primarily on meaningful trials. In addition, memory for the subset of variables most critical to diagnosis was better with the P+F display than with the P display, thereby indicating that memory recall can be a sensitive measure of display effectiveness. The results also clarify a theoretical problem that has existed for some:time in the literature, namely, the conditions under which expertise advantages are to be expected in memory-recall tasks. Collectively, these findings point to the potential benefits of adopting an applied context as a test bed for basic research issues.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Charness, N. (1979). Components of skill in bridge.Canadian Journal of Psychology,33, 1–16.
Chase, W. G., &Simon, H. A. (1973a). The mind’s eye in chess. In W. G. Chase (Ed.),Visual information processing (pp. 215–281). New York: Academic Press.
Chase, W. G., &Simon, H. A. (1973b). Perception in chess.Cognitive Psychology,4, 55–81.
Coughlin, L. D., &Patel, V. L. (1987). Processing of critical information by physicians and medical students.Journal of Medical Education,62, 818–828.
Dar, R. (1987). Another look at Meehl, Lakatos, and the scientific practices of psychologists.American Psychologist,42, 145–151.
Deakin, J. M., &Allard, F. (1991). Skilled memory in expert figure skaters.Memory & Cognition,19, 79–86.
De Groot, A. D. (1965). Thought and choice in chess. The Hague: Mouton. (Original work published 1946)
Egan, D. B., &Schwartz, B. J. (1979). Chunking in recall of symbolic drawings.Memory & Cognition,7, 149–158.
Ericsson, K. A., &Staszewski, J. J. (1989). Skilled memory & expertise: Mechanisms of exceptional performance. In D. Klahr & K. Kotovsky (Eds.),Complex information processing: The impact of HerbertA. Simon (pp. 235–267). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.
Flach, J. M. (1990). The ecology of human-machine systems I: Introduction.Ecological Psychology,2, 191–205.
Flach, J. M., Lintern, G., &Larish, J. F. (1990). Perceptual motor skill: A theoretical framework. In R. Warren & A. Wertheimer (Eds.),The perception and control of self motion (pp. 327–356). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.
Fowler, C. A., &Turvey, M. T. (1978). Skill acquisition: An event approach with special reference to searching for the optimum of a function of several variables, In G. B. Stelmach (Ed.),information processing in motor control and learning (pp. 1–40). New York: Academic Press.
Gibson, E. J. (1969).Principles of perceptual learning and development. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Glaser, R., &Chi, M. T. H. (1988). Overview. In M. T. H. Chi, R. Glaser, & M. J. Farr (Eds.),The nature of expertise (pp. xv-xxviii). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.
Gomez, L. M., &Dumais, S. T. (1986). Putting cognitive psychology to work: Examples from computer system design. In T. J. Knapp & L. C. Robertson (Eds.),Approaches to cognition: Contrasts and controversies (pp. 267–290). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Hammond, K. R., Hamm, R. M., &Grassia, J. (1986). Generalizing over conditions by combining the multitrait-multimethod matrix and the representative design of experiments.Psychological Bulletin,100, 257–269.
Hammond, K. R., Hamm, R. M., Grassia, J., &Pearson, T. (1987). Direct comparison of intuitive and analytical cognition in expertjudgement.IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, & Cybernetics,SMC-17, 753–770.
Kieras, D. E., &Bovair, S. (1984). The role of a mental model in learning to operate a device.Cognitive Science,8, 255–273.
La Cour Christensen, P., Kofoed, J., &Larsen, N. (1988).PCDYSIM: A program package for simulation of continuous dynamic processes [User’s manual]. Roskilde, Denmark: Risø National Laboratory, Department of Information Technology. (Rise-I-342)
Landauer, T. K. (1987). Relations between cognitive psychology and computer system design. In J. M. Carroll (Ed.),Interfacing though: Cognitive aspects of human-computer interaction (pp. 1–25). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Meehl, P. E. (1967). Theory-testing in psychology and physics: A methodological paradox.Philosophy of Science,34, 103–115.
Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical risks and tabular asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the slow progress of soft psychology.Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology,46, 806–834.
Myers, J. L. (1972).Fundamentals of experimental design (2nd ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Myles-Worsley, M., Johnston, W. A., &Simons, M. A. (1988). The influence of expertise on X-ray image processing.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,14, 553–557.
Owen, D. H. (1990). Perception and control of changes in self-motion: A functional approach to the study of information and skill. In R. Warren & A. Wertheimer (Eds.),The perception and control of self motion (pp. 289–326). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.
Rasmussen, J. (1983). Skills, rules, and knowledge; signals, signs, and symbols, and other distinctions in human performance models.IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, & Cybernetics,SMC-13, 257–266.
Recht, D. R., &Leslie, L. (1988). Effect of prior knowledge on good and poor readers’ memory of text.Journal of Educational Psychology,80, 16–20.
Rouse, W. B. (1985). On better mousetraps and basic research: Getting the applied world to the laboratory door.IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, & Cybernetics,SMC-15, 2–8.
Schneider, W., Körkel, J., &Weinert, F. B. (1989). Domain-specific knowledge and memory performance: A comparison of high- and lowaptitude children.Journal of Educational Psychology,81, 306–312.
Schumacher, R. M., &Gentner, D. (1988). Transfer of training as analogical mapping.IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, & Cybernetics,SMC-18, 592–600.
Sheppard, S. B., Curtis, B., Milliman, P., &Love, T. (1979, December). Modern coding practices and programmer performance.IEEE Computer,12, 41–49.
Shneiderman, B. (1977). Measuring computer program quality and comprehension.International Journal of Man-Machine Studies.9, 465–478.
Siegel, S. (1956).Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Vicente, K. J. (1988). Adapting the memory recall paradigm to evaluate interfaces.Acta Psychologica,69, 249–278.
Vicente, K. J. (1991). Supporting knowledge-based behavior through ecological interface design. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Vicente, K. J., &De Grout, A. D. (1990). The memory recall paradigm: Straightening out the historical record.American Psychologist,45, 285–287.
Vicente, K. J., &Rasmussen, J. (1990). The ecology of human-machine systems II: Mediating “direct perception” in complex work domains,Ecological Psychology,2, 207–250.
Vicente, K. J., & Rasmussen, J. (in press). Ecological interface design: Theoretical foundations. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, & Cybernetics.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This work was part of my doctoral dissertation, conducted at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vicente, K.J. Memory recall in a process control system: a measure of expertise and display effectiveness. Memory & Cognition 20, 356–373 (1992). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210920
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210920