The statistical analysis of a model for storage and retrieval processes in human memory

Abstract
The statistical theory is developed for a simple model, originally presented by Batchelder & Riefer (1980), that is capable of separately measuring storage and retrieval processes in human memory. The model is intended for use by researchers who have hypotheses about the effects of independent variables on storage and retrieval that are general enough not to demand any particular human memory paradigm for their test. In Section 1, the statistical model is presented in detail, along with an experimental paradigm for collecting data to be analysed by the model. In Section 2, parameter estimation for the model is provided assuming independent observations under constant conditions. Confidence regions for the parameters are also provided. In Section 3, hypothesis‐testing methods based on the likelihood ratio method are developed for a variety of hypotheses in the case where observations are available from several experimental conditions. These methods are also illustrated with a data set. In the conclusion, the relative advantages of the statistical model over traditional methods for studying storage and retrieval are discussed. Specifically, an example is presented where the traditional ANOVA approach yields very misleading conclusions.

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