Short article Syntax and serial recall: How language supports short-term memory for order

摘要

The extent to which familiar syntax supports short-term serial recall of visually presented six-item sequences was shown by the superior recall of lists in which item pairs appeared in the order of "adjective–noun" (items 1-2, 3-4, 5-6)—congruent with English syntax—compared to when the order of items within pairs was reversed. The findings complement other evidence suggesting that short-term memory is an assemblage of language processing and production processes more than it is a bespoke short-term memory storage system.