Richard Atkinson is an American psychologist and academic administrator. In 1968, alongside Richard Shiffrin, he proposed the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, which describes human memory as a computer-like system where information sequentially passes through sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

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There have been a number of psychologists who have contributed to the study of memory. These include:
- Karl Lashley
- Hermann Ebbinghaus 

Important Figures in Memory Research

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Karl Lashley was a psychologist who, about a century ago, investigated the physical basis of memory. His research methodology involved creating lesions, or intentional damage, in the cerebral cortex of animals like rats and monkeys. This was part of his pioneering search for the engram, the physical trace of a memory, which ultimately led to his formulation of the equipotentiality hypothesis.

Karl Lashley

Eric Kandel is a modern psychologist who has made significant progress in locating the physical traces of memory. He has spent decades studying the synapse and its critical role in controlling the flow of information through the neural circuits that are needed to store memories.

Eric Kandel

Endel Tulving is a notable cognitive psychologist who, along with his colleagues at the University of Toronto, conducted extensive research on memory. He is particularly known for his years-long study of patient K.C., whose case of severe amnesia provided significant insights into the functions of long-term memory.

Endel Tulving

In 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus pioneered the experimental study of memory. His methodology involved memorizing lists of nonsense syllables and then systematically measuring his own retention by testing his ability to relearn the lists at various time intervals. This work led to his discovery of the forgetting curve.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

William Bousfield (1935) was a researcher who demonstrated semantic encoding through an experiment in which participants memorized a list of 60 words divided into four hidden categories of meaning. He showed that people tend to recall words grouped by their semantic categories, indicating they pay attention to word meanings during encoding.

William Bousfield

Paivio (1986) is a researcher who proposed that high-imagery words build a stronger memory because they are encoded both visually and semantically.

Allan Paivio

Fergus Craik is a prominent cognitive psychologist known for his pioneering work on memory. Alongside Endel Tulving, he developed the levels of processing framework, demonstrating through experiments in 1975 that semantic processing leads to deeper, more durable encoding than visual or acoustic processing.

Fergus Craik

Richard Atkinson

Richard Shiffrin is an American cognitive scientist and professor of cognitive science. In 1968, alongside Richard Atkinson, he co-developed the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, which describes memory structure and control processes across sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.

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