Biomedical subjects

M W Lansdale

Publications and source records attributed to M W Lansdale.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Modeling memory for absolute location.

A model for recall of location is presented that postulates 2 encoding processes: 1 producing exact (all-or-none) recall, the other resulting in inexact recall. Exact recall is modeled as the outcome of a perceptual discrimination process, and inexact recall is modeled as the incomplete outcome of a Poisson process of information gain. The model accurately predicts levels of recall and patterns of errors in a number of experiments and articulates a lawful relationship between recall and elements of picture composition, such as the dimensions of the to-be-recalled attributes and the configuration of anchor points in the picture. This model enables a reappraisal of previous theoretical approaches to memory for location and of related studies concerned with automaticity in memory. The significance of this model as a general analytical device for the study of continuous attributes in memory is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Remembering about documents: memory for appearance, format, and location.

If we remember the visual appearance of documents, and other attributes such as location, then a number of new information management strategies become possible candidates for application in the design of filing systems. This paper describes a number of experiments aimed at investigating aspects of memory for documents in office settings. There is no evidence, as has previously been suggested, that automatic encoding for appearance or location of documents occurs at significant levels. The results of these experiments are more consistent with the view that visual and spatial attributes of documents are remembered in proportion to the attention paid to them when the documents are handled. The experiments also illustrate the sensitivity of this principle to the context in which subjects use documents. It is apparent that office tasks vary considerably in the extent to which subjects must pay attention to the visual and locational attributes of the documents handled. The consequences for the design of filing systems is discussed in terms of what methods for storage and retrieval can usefully be built into the design of systems.

Attention↗

PubMed1988

The psychology of personal information management.

A requirement of 'The Office of the Future' is that it provides us with an effective way of storing and retrieving information. But existing IT products go nowhere near supporting the variety of activities which can be observed in paper-based offices, and it is not surprising that concepts of the 'paperless office' are as far off as they were when the idea was first mooted. This paper illustrates how many of the issues involved in the automation of information management are essentially psychological in nature. These principally devolve upon the processes of recall, recognition and categorisation. Examples of existing information management techniques show how there is a trend to automate with a view to simulating office practices, or to develop according to the availability of technological solutions. Both of these are inefficient with respect to the user's psychological needs. A framework for developing user-oriented information management systems is discussed and relevant research issues presented.

Journal Article↗