Human Memory

by Ian Neath, Aimee Surprenant (Contributor)

This book balances coverage of theory, research, and data in order to promote a more complete understanding of how human memory works. The book strikes a balance between historically significant findings and current research. Actual experiments, both paper and pencil and online demonstrations, are included to help students see the link between theory and data.

Genres: Psychology, Science, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great review of research into all forms of memory, impressive more for its breadth and depth than its current relevance, as it's about ten years outdated. Neath and Surprenant are at the forefront of memory research, and this book really highlights why: they consider all angles to a problem, are impressive scientific thinkers, capable computational modellers, and highly accessible writers-- and, importantly, they don't hold to the status quo when new insight suggests the truth may be otherwise. Often, they are the ones leading the charge with new insight. Indeed, this book almost serves as a historical primer to the ideas they develop in more detail in their "Principles of Memory."

The chapters on modal models, sensory memory, and working memory served as excellent reminders of everything I'd forgotten since second year of undergrad on account of my work not touching those areas at all. The chapters on processing, implicit memory and forgetting were particularly memorable (pun not intended) and offered some new angles I'd never considered to the problems via classic research I'd never gotten around to reading. And their optional chapter on computational modelling presents the most easily comprehensible explanations I've seen of a number of tricky models: a great benefit for the mathematically uninclined but hopeful modellers out there.

I'm really glad I read this book, and I hope to explore some of the research ideas their writing inspired (assuming nobody has beat me to these questions in the last ten years....). I recommend this to any cognitive scientist or memory researcher; it's an invaluable historical resource that summarizes the development of most areas of the field succinctly and thoroughly.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cognition and experiments are not my favorite subjects