Serial memory processing
Self-terminating implies that comparisons stop abruptly as soon as the target is found, and then the response is generated.
If the reaction time slope for a positive trial (where the target was present in the memory set) is about half of the slope for a negative trial (where the target was not present in the memory set) this demonstrates self-terminating processing.
[3] On the other hand, exhaustive implies that comparisons continue until the entire set is compared and then a response is generated.
For auditory stimuli, adding in the meaningless item will only remove the recency effect if it is phonologically similar.
Serial position errors have been discussed earlier, in relation to the primacy and recency effect.
[9] It has been found that when mental age is equated, there is no difference in performance on serial memory tasks for children with autism.
There is evidence that both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampal region are related to serial memory processing.
This is because lesions in these areas tend to be related to impaired ability in remembering serial order.
Lesions on the medial prefrontal cortex shows total memory loss for the temporal order of spatial locations (this was tested by ability on a maze task).
The participants remembered for a short time the temporal order of spatial locations; those memory declined thereafter.
[11] Rat studies have shown that lesions in the prefrontal cortex cause an inability to remember the 2nd of two items in a set.
As well, the rats showed increased corticosterone while experiencing stress during a serial memory task.
On the other hand, rat studies have also shown that lesions in the hippocampal regions cause an inability to remember the 1st of two items.
As well it shows that the different brain regions differentially activate corticosterone, a hormone related to memory effects.
This limited-capacity helps to explain the linear relationship between time of recall and size of memory set.
It demonstrates the same findings of phonologically similar and different items found in earlier studies.
Firstly, this model states that after the target item, being compared to the memory set, is presented, it is then encoded into the brain.
These comparisons are completed serially, in order, and are affected by the size of the original memory set.
This model demonstrates the relationships between lengths of memory set and longer recall time.
As well, this model focuses on exhaustive processing, where all comparisons are made, regardless of whether a positive response was found.
