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How can we define "short-term" memory? Commentary on Boumenir et al
This is an interesting work. It is well done, with a significant sampling of subjects and convenient statistical analysis of the results. It raises important questions, which are presented in the Discussion section, and paves the way for future work.
However, the use of some concepts should be clarified: "short-term memory", "direct viewing", "itinerary".
(i) Short-term memory here is used for describing a memory trace after about a minute, a time lag which actually permits some memory consolidation. Temporal data about short-term memory and long-term memory should have been given in the Introduction, along with their relevance to the present paradigm. In addition, participants were instructed to "memorize the itinerary", but no instruction was given to recommend or to forbid strategies such as repetitive rehearsing of street names and/or of the succession of right or left turns in the itinerary.
(ii) The expression "direct viewing" here describes a Google Street View inspection, also used by half of the participants in the test phase. This is nos an actual direct viewing, which normally would include personal feelings, which play an important role in memory, e.g.: evaluation of distances and slopes from perspective views (the latter are suggested in the Materials & Method section as "subjective ratings of stress levels"), prospects of visiting again special places such as (mainly for women) fashion shops, etc. I recognize that the results prove that the Google Street View bears more reality than an ordinary 2D map; perhaps an expression such as semi-direct viewing would be appropriate.
(iii) The term "itinerary" appears in the M & M section without further explanation to the reader. How is the relevant route identified in the learning phase ? And are the starting and target points shown in the test phase ?
(iv) Finally, a "superviser" [supervisor?] is present to"clarify issues", but were his/her answers to possible questions rigorously prescribed in advance ?
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Competing interests:
none
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Invited by the author to review this article? :
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Have you previously published on this or a similar topic?:
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References:
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Experience and credentials in the specific area of science:
The biochemistry of working memory processes and memory processes in general
- How to cite: Durup J .How to define short-term memory?[Review of the article 'Short-Term Memory Representation Of A Complex And Non-Familiar Environment After Brief Exposure ' by Dresp-Langley B].WebmedCentral 2016;2(3):WMCRW00536
The article on Short-Term memory claims that precious exposure to environments and spatial layouts-- also referred to as memory coding-- allows for increased ease in independent navigation of these areas. Slight exposure is supposed to increase memory function needed to navigate such complex areas. It has been proven that humans are very adaptive, therefore there is reason for why memory coding would improve the innate survival skills we all have when thrown into complex environments. There was some anxiety, especially in women, that previously appeared when exposed to these environments that was reduced from this previous exposure. This article claims that memory coding leads to better independent navigation in complex environments. These claims are very important for they can possibly be applied to other forms of human adaptation and behavior.
I do believe this is a novel idea. There have been many different studies done with short-term memory. However, I have never seen a navigation study done using Google Street View. This makes this study very modern and technologically advanced.
These claims are properly placed and supported by previous literature on short-term memory.
The reports show that navigation times were significantly shorter and that prior exposure was successful. In addition, the success rate for women was significantly lower but their navigation time increasingly higher than that of men. These results support the previous claims and also solidified that the psychological stress in women in this instance was much higher than in men.
The protocol was unique to this experiment. In this process 52 people navigated thru the streets of Paris using Google Street view. Prior to navigation, 27 of the participants were exposed to a map for two minutes and then had to navigate where as the other 25 participants were given no exposure to the map beforehand.
This methodology does seem valid. This is because there is a control and experimental group which makes is much easier to compare results. There was also only one aspect of the experiment altered and therefore it is sure that’s what led to change in results. The paper also offers specific numbers and time frames that would allow for the experiment to be reproduced.
Some extra work could be done to apply these results to memory and/ or anxiety as a whole. It would make this paper have a broader application if it wasn’t just targeted at navigation. It could be difficult to apply this methodology directly but the idea is very applicable.
This paper has some outstanding basis. However, I do think the idea could be further applied to other aspects of memory, cognition, and anxiety that would truly make this outstanding in its discipline.
No other comments.
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Previous experience in memory application experiments.