The von Restorff Effect

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The von Restorff Effect

• Presentation by Caelin White

Cognitive Processes April 2006
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Outline
Demonstration What is the von Restorff Effect? -
Clarification of terminology Why does it
occur? - 4 Hypotheses Coglab experiment -
Hypothesis and Method - Results Conclusion and
Discussion
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LKP
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Recall as many items as you can
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The Serial Position Curve
Recency effect
Primacy effect
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The von Restorff Curve
Recency effect
Primacy effect
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Terminology a critical distinction
Difference - A unique physical property of an
object or stimulus itself. Distinctiv
eness - The psychological property of an item
being dissimilar to surrounding
items. Vividness - A perceptual property
resulting from the powerful effect of a
stimulus on our sensory system, on our emotions,
or both.
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Terminology a critical distinction
Though related, these three terms are not the
same.
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Why does this effect occur?
Gestalt Model 1. Figure-Ground Hypothesis
Alternate Categories Model 2. Category Size
Hypothesis
Differential Attention Model 3. Time-Sharing
Hypothesis
Perceptual Organization Model 4. Anchor Point
Hypothesis
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2. Category Size Hypothesis (Watkins Watkins,
1975)
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3. Time-Sharing Hypothesis (Wallace, 1965)
Once an item is perceived as distinct, it
receives attention for a longer period of time.
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4. Anchor Point Hypothesis (Fiegenbaum Simon,
1962 Glanzer Dolinsky, 1965)
Information is organized around pegs or anchor
points.
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Coglab Experiment - Method -
The more digits presented...the less distinct
each digit becomes.
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String 1
2 9 3 1 R 4 5 8
String 2
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Coglab Experiment - Hypothesis -
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Coglab Experiment - Results -
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Coglab Experiment - Results -
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Coglab Experiment - Conclusion -
Hypothesis was unsupported If anything, trend
was reversed
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Discussion
Why did the effect not occur? - Poor
replication - Participant fatigue
Two-item distinctiveness - Is memory better for
pairs of distinct items?
Why does the effect (not) exist? - Most likely
an evolved mechanism.
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Thanks!