Stevens,J.R.
Pachur,T.
Schooler,L.J.

Comments on an article by Stanley B. Klein (see record [rid]2013-42897-004[/rid]). In his target article, Klein makes the important point that many approaches to studying memory neglect; in particular its capacity to help predict the future. Here, we complement Klein’s argument in two ways. First, the authors point to an existing and well-developed research program that formalizes a functional approach to memory, exploring its adaptive nature. Second, the authors illustrate how this approach can be applied to analyze regularities in social interactions, which memory might exploit to predict future interactions. Anderson based the notion of rational analysis on an evolutionary perspective on cognition, incorporating evolutionary optimization in his framework. This approach, thus, not only offers an explicit adaptive perspective on the predictive nature of memory, but, like Klein’s argument, it also has had an evolutionary foundation since its inception. This explicitly evolutionary approach provides a clear starting point for Klein’s broader thesis that various aspects of memory have adaptive function potentially geared toward predicting the future. In summary, the rational analysis of memory provides a theoretical foundation for Klein’s contention that cognitive psychology should pay more attention to the functional basis of memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)

Stevens, J. R., Pachur, T., & Schooler, L. J. (2013). Rational analysis of the adaptive and predictive nature of memory. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2, 251-253. doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.10.006 (Full text)

Publication year	2013
Document type:	Article
Publication status:	Published
External URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.10.006 View
Categories:	ForecastingMemory
Keywords:	adaptationcooperationmemorypredictionrational analysissocial contact