The Serial-Position Effect in Short-Term Motor Retention

Abstract

The existence of inter-item interference was demonstrated in an experiment investigating proactive inhibition in motor short-term memory. Blindfolded subjects moved a slide to a stop and then attempted to replace the slide in the correct (criterion) location with the stop removed. Independent variables were positions recalled in addition to the criterion (zero or four) and retention interval length (5 or 50 sec). While retention loss on the criterion position was found only for the group with four additional positions and a 50-sec retention interval, analysis of recall error at each position for subjects given a five-item sequence and a 5-sec retention interval indicated a serial-position effect. Implications of the findings for the role of cognitive processes in motor short-term memory were discussed.