Principles of Memory

In over 100 years of scientific research on human memory, and nearly 50 years after the so-called cognitive revolution, we have nothing that really constitutes a widely accepted and frequently cited law of memory, and perhaps only one generally accepted principle. The purpose of this monograph is to begin to rectify this situation by proposing 7 principles of human memory that apply to all memory. These principles are qualitative statements of empirical regularities that can serve as intermediary explanations and which follow from viewing memory as a function. They apply to all types of information, to all memory systems, and to all time scales. The principles highlight important gaps in our knowledge, challenge existing organizational views of memory, and suggest important new lines of research.

This volume is intended for people in the field of memory (from advanced undergraduates to seasoned researchers), although it will be of interest to those who would like a comprehensive overview of the fundamental regularities in cognitive functioning.

Aimée M. Surprenant is currently a professor in the Department of Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada. She received a B.A. in psychology from New York University in 1988 and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University in 1992. She received a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health for post-doctoral work at Indiana University in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Her research has been published in journals such as Memory, Memory & Cognition, Perception & Psychophysics, the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Ian Neath is currently a professor and head of the Department of Psychology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada. He received a B.A. in psychology and history from Rice University in 1987, and a Ph.D. in psychology from Yale University in 1991. He has published numerous articles and chapters on human memory, and is currently on the editorial boards of Memory & Cognition, the Journal of Memory and Language, and Psychological Science.