An instance theory of attention and memory.
Abstract
An instance theory of attention and memory (ITAM) is presented that integrates formal theories of attention and memory phenomena by exploiting commonalities in their formal structure. The core idea in each theory is that performance depends on a choice process that can be modeled as a race between competing alternatives. Attention and categorization are viewed as different perspectives on the same race. Attention selects objects by categorizing them; objects are categorized by attending to them. ITAM incorporates each of its ancestors as a special case, so it inherits their successes.
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The race model suggests a single-stage model in which skill acquisition is solely driven by continuous amassing of instances.
“The race model suggests a single-stage model, theorizing that skill acquisition is solely driven by the continuous amassing of instances, which corresponds to a quantitative (rather than a qualitative) change in the mechanism.”
From Testing the three-stage model of second language skill acquisition (2025) · cites this paper as Logan, 2002
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References 184 · Cited by 467
- Authors
- Logan, G. D.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Logan, Gordon D.
- ORCID
- Logan, Gordon D.
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 2002
- Volume
- 109
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 376-400
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W2042765266
- Cited by
- 467
- References
- 184
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Visual Attention and Saliency Detection
- Keywords
- attention, memory, categorization, choice process, race model, unified theory
- MeSH terms
- Attention, Cognition, Humans, Memory, Models, Psychological
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