Abstract
Six experiments yielding serial position data using a positional probe task were compared to predictions made on the basis of distinctiveness. The concept of distinctiveness is derived from psychophysical theory and indicates the degree to which a particular stimulus in a group “stands out” from the other stimuli in that group. It was found that the obtained results agreed closely with those predicted. The results were suggested as a possible explanation for the bowed serial position effect in short-term memory.
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Detterman, D.K., Ellis, N.R. Distinctiveness in short-term memory. Psychon Sci 22, 239–241 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332590
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332590