When long-term learning depends on short-term storage
Journal of Memory and Language, 27 (5):
586-595 (1988)TY - JOUR.Abstract
Since the 1960s, there has been controversy as to whether long-term
learning might depend on some form of temporary short-term storage.
Evidence that patients with grossly impaired memory span might show
normal learning was, however, particularly problematic for such views.
We reexamine the question by studying the learning capacity of a
patient, P.V., with a very pure deficit in short-term memory. A series
of experiments compare her learning capacity with that of matched
controls. The first experiment shows that her capacity to learn pairs
of meaningful words is within the normal range. A second experiment
examines her capacity to learn to associate a familiar word with
an unfamiliar item from another language. With auditory presentation
she is completely unable to perform this task. Further studies show
that when visual presentation is used she shows evidence of learning,
but is clearly impaired. It is suggested that short-term phonological
storage is important for learning unfamiliar verbal material, but
is not essential for forming associations between meaningful items
that are already known. Implications for the possible role of a phonological
short-term store in the acquisition of vocabulary by children are
discussed.