Contextual Coding in Memory: Studies of Remembered Duration

Abstract

Two metatheories have dominated psychological studies of memory and of time during this century. Although the historical pattern of adoption of these metatheoretical approaches overlaps somewhat, one of them is clearly older. The older metatheory has roots in the behavioristic and neobehavioristic psychology of the earlier part of this century, but it extends it; branches into some recent information processing psychology. I refer to this as a stimulus-based approach, because it emphasizes memory for stimulus events per se.The newer metatheory originates in some cognitive psychology of the later part of this century. I refer to this as a context-based approach, because it emphasizes contextual coding in memory.

Some of the research described here was work supported by National Science Foundation Grant ISP-8011449.