{"id":{"repo_id":"purdue-thes","oai_identifier":"oai:docs.lib.purdue.edu:open_access_dissertations-2385"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/purdue-thes/oai:docs.lib.purdue.edu:open_access_dissertations-2385","repository":{"repo_id":"purdue-thes","name":"Purdue University","base_url":"https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"ADAPTIVE MEMORY: ANIMACY AND THE METHOD OF LOCI","abstract":"A functionalist approach to cognition assumes that people’s minds are tuned to process and remember information that benefits our survival or reproduction (Nairne, 2005). One source of information with potentially high fitness value is things that are alive and animate (Nairne, VanArsdall, Pandeirada, Cogdill, & LeBreton, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effects of using an ancient mnemonic – the method of loci – to examine memory for animate objects. Across four experiments, subjects used the method of loci to remember a list of animate or inanimate objects. I manipulated animacy by using animate or inanimate words (Experiments 1 and 4) or by using animate or inanimate images (Experiments 2, 3, and 4). In Experiment 1, memory for animate and inanimate words was tested in either the method of loci or a pleasantness ratings control condition. Subjects learned a list of words; half of the words were animate and the other half were inanimate. Subjects in both conditions recalled more animate than inanimate words. The animacy effect in the method of loci was smaller relative to the pleasantness condition.","abstract_html":"A functionalist approach to cognition assumes that people’s minds are tuned to process and remember information that benefits our survival or reproduction (Nairne, 2005). One source of information with potentially high fitness value is things that are alive and animate (Nairne, VanArsdall, Pandeirada, Cogdill, & LeBreton, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effects of using an ancient mnemonic – the method of loci – to examine memory for animate objects. Across four experiments, subjects used the method of loci to remember a list of animate or inanimate objects. I manipulated animacy by using animate or inanimate words (Experiments 1 and 4) or by using animate or inanimate images (Experiments 2, 3, and 4). In Experiment 1, memory for animate and inanimate words was tested in either the method of loci or a pleasantness ratings control condition. Subjects learned a list of words; half of the words were animate and the other half were inanimate. Subjects in both conditions recalled more animate than inanimate words. The animacy effect in the method of loci was smaller relative to the pleasantness condition.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Blunt, Janell R."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jeffrey D Karpicke","James S Nairne","Darryl W Schneider","Thomas S Redick"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:54:25Z","subjects":["adaptive memory","Animacy","evolution","memory","memory palace","method of loci"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1169","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jeffrey D Karpicke","James S Nairne","Darryl W Schneider","Thomas S Redick"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Blunt, Janell R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["adaptive memory","Animacy","evolution","memory","memory palace","method of loci"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1169"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A functionalist approach to cognition assumes that people’s minds are tuned to process and remember information that benefits our survival or reproduction (Nairne, 2005). One source of information with potentially high fitness value is things that are alive and animate (Nairne, VanArsdall, Pandeirada, Cogdill, & LeBreton, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effects of using an ancient mnemonic – the method of loci – to examine memory for animate objects. Across four experiments, subjects used the method of loci to remember a list of animate or inanimate objects. I manipulated animacy by using animate or inanimate words (Experiments 1 and 4) or by using animate or inanimate images (Experiments 2, 3, and 4). In Experiment 1, memory for animate and inanimate words was tested in either the method of loci or a pleasantness ratings control condition. Subjects learned a list of words; half of the words were animate and the other half were inanimate. Subjects in both conditions recalled more animate than inanimate words. The animacy effect in the method of loci was smaller relative to the pleasantness condition."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["ADAPTIVE MEMORY: ANIMACY AND THE METHOD OF LOCI"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jeffrey D Karpicke","James S Nairne","Darryl W Schneider","Thomas S Redick"],"dc:creator":["Blunt, Janell R."],"dc:description.abstract":["A functionalist approach to cognition assumes that people’s minds are tuned to process and remember information that benefits our survival or reproduction (Nairne, 2005). One source of information with potentially high fitness value is things that are alive and animate (Nairne, VanArsdall, Pandeirada, Cogdill, & LeBreton, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effects of using an ancient mnemonic – the method of loci – to examine memory for animate objects. Across four experiments, subjects used the method of loci to remember a list of animate or inanimate objects. I manipulated animacy by using animate or inanimate words (Experiments 1 and 4) or by using animate or inanimate images (Experiments 2, 3, and 4). In Experiment 1, memory for animate and inanimate words was tested in either the method of loci or a pleasantness ratings control condition. Subjects learned a list of words; half of the words were animate and the other half were inanimate. Subjects in both conditions recalled more animate than inanimate words. The animacy effect in the method of loci was smaller relative to the pleasantness condition."],"dc:identifier":["https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1169"],"dc:subject":["adaptive memory","Animacy","evolution","memory","memory palace","method of loci"],"dc:title":["ADAPTIVE MEMORY: ANIMACY AND THE METHOD OF LOCI"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:54:25Z"}