Title |
Eyeclosure helps memory by reducing cognitive load and enhancing visualisation
|
---|---|
Published in |
Memory & Cognition, April 2011
|
DOI | 10.3758/s13421-011-0098-8 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Annelies Vredeveldt, Graham J. Hitch, Alan D. Baddeley |
Abstract |
Closing the eyes helps memory. We investigated the mechanisms underlying the eyeclosure effect by exposing 80 eyewitnesses to different types of distraction during the witness interview: blank screen (control), eyes closed, visual distraction, and auditory distraction. We examined the cognitive load hypothesis by comparing any type of distraction (visual or auditory) with minimal distraction (blank screen or eyes closed). We found recall to be significantly better when distraction was minimal, providing evidence that eyeclosure reduces cognitive load. We examined the modality-specific interference hypothesis by comparing the effects of visual and auditory distraction on recall of visual and auditory information. Visual and auditory distraction selectively impaired memory for information presented in the same modality, supporting the role of visualisation in the eyeclosure effect. Analysis of recall in terms of grain size revealed that recall of basic information about the event was robust, whereas recall of specific details was prone to both general and modality-specific disruptions. |
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Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 2 | 40% |
Unknown | 3 | 60% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 4 | 80% |
Scientists | 1 | 20% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 4 | 2% |
Japan | 2 | 1% |
Australia | 1 | <1% |
Italy | 1 | <1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 183 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 37 | 19% |
Student > Bachelor | 37 | 19% |
Student > Master | 31 | 16% |
Researcher | 17 | 9% |
Professor | 8 | 4% |
Other | 37 | 19% |
Unknown | 25 | 13% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 83 | 43% |
Social Sciences | 11 | 6% |
Neuroscience | 9 | 5% |
Computer Science | 8 | 4% |
Linguistics | 7 | 4% |
Other | 36 | 19% |
Unknown | 38 | 20% |