Principles of Learning and Memory

In this landmark volume from 1976, Robert Crowder presents an organized review of the concepts that guide the study of learning and memory.

The basic organization of the book is theoretical, rather than historical or methodological, and there are four broad sections. The first is on coding in memory, and the relations between memory and vision, audition and speech. The second section focuses on short-term memory. The third is loosely organized around the topic of learning. The final section includes chapters that focus on the process of retrieval, with special attention to recognition and to serial organization.

Crowder presumes no prior knowledge of the subject matter on the part of the reader; technical terms are kept to a minimum, and he makes every effort to introduce them carefully when they first occur. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.

Robert G. Crowder (1939-2000) was an outstanding and pioneering psychologist in the great functional tradition of American psychology. During his career at Yale University, he made major contributions to many topics in cognitive psychology, including memory, learning, the psychology of music, and the psychology of reading. He received numerous academic honors and many of his students went on to have significant careers in the field. His bibliography includes landmark volumes, including Principles of Learning and Memory (1976), which was the first attempt to summarize the field in over two decades.