The value in rushing: Memory and selectivity when short on time

Abstract

While being short on time can certainly limit what one remembers, are there always such costs? The current study investigates the impact of time constraints on selective memory and the self-regulated study of valuable information. Participants studied lists of words ranging in value from 1-10 points, with the goal being to maximize their score during recall. Half of the participants studied these words at a constant presentation rate of either 1 s or 5s. The other half of participants studied under both rates, either fast (1s) during the first several lists and then slow (5s) during later lists, or vice versa. Study was then self-paced during a final segment of lists for all participants to determine how people regulate their study time after experiencing different presentation rates during study. While participants recalled more words overall when studying at a 5-second rate, there were no significant differences in terms of value-based recall, with all participants demonstrating better recall for higher-valued words and similar patterns of selectivity, regardless of study time or prior timing experience. Self-paced study was also value-based, with participants spending more time studying high-value words than low-value. Thus, while being short on time may have impaired memory overall, participants' attention to item value during study was not differentially impacted by the fast and slow timing rates. Overall, these findings offer further insight regarding the influence that timing schedules and task experience have on how people selectively focus on valuable information.

Keywords: Memory; Selectivity; Self-regulated learning; Time constraints; Value-directed remembering.

Figure 1

Recall probability as a function of item value, list, and assigned study condition in Segments 1-3. As a reminder, study during Segment 3 was self-paced.

Figure 2

The average proportion of self-paced study time and the average study time (in seconds) allocated to each item value across assigned study conditions in Segment 3. The rates at which participants in each condition studied during Segments 1 and 2, either 1 second per word or 5 seconds, are provided in brackets.