The DOI matches its Crossref record; 29 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Learning 10000 pictures
Abstract
Four experiments are reported which examined memory capacity and retrieval speed for pictures and for words. Single-trial learning tasks were employed throughout, with memory performance assessed by forced-choice recognition, recall measures or choice reaction-time tasks. The main experimental findings were: (1) memory capacity, as a function of the amount of material presented, follows a general power law with a characteristic exponent for each task; (2) pictorial material obeys this power law and shows an overall superiority to verbal material. The capacity of recognition memory for pictures is almost limitless, when measured under appropriate conditions; (3) when the recognition task is made harder by using more alternatives, memory capacity stays constant and the superiority of pictures is maintained; (4) picture memory also exceeds verbal memory in terms of verbal recall; comparable recognition/recall ratios are obtained for pictures, words and nonsense syllables; (5) verbal memory shows a higher retrieval speed than picture memory, as inferred from reaction-time measures. Both types of material obey a power law, when reaction-time is measured for various sizes of learning set, and both show very rapid rates of memory search. From a consideration of the experimental results and other data it is concluded that the superiority of the pictorial mode in recognition and free recall learning tasks is well established and cannot be attributed to methodological artifact.
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“and in another study participants were very accurate at recognizing which of 10,000 briefly glimpsed photographs they had been shown five days earlier (Standing, 1973).”
From Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. (2014) · cites this paper as Standing, 1973
In the citing paper
“This is a significant issue for neuroscience because humans have immense memory capacity (Standing 1973, Brady et al. 2008) that may not be accounted for by current models.”
From A quantum microtubule substrate of consciousness is experimentally supported and solves the binding and epiphenomenalism problems (2025) · cites this paper as Standing 1973
Citations
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- Standing L., 1971, Categorizing stimuli for picture-memory studies. Research Report EP-2; Psychology Department
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Metadata
- Authors
- Standing, L.
- Affiliations
- Bishop's University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Standing, Lionel
- Venue
- Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1973-05
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 207-222
- ISSN
- 0033-555X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2022872918
- Cited by
- 968
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 44 · 2012: 32
- FWCI
- 5.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- image memory, verbal memory, memory capacity, recognition memory, free recall, retrieval speed, power law, one-trial learning, reaction time, picture superiority effect, choice reaction time
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Auditory Perception, Discrimination Learning, Humans, Information Theory, Memory, Reaction Time, Verbal Learning, Visual Perception
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