The Brown-Peterson distractor technique is a cognitive psychology research tool used to measure short-term memory and interference in both verbal and nonverbal tasks (Dunlosky & Hertzog, 2010). This technique was developed by Brown and Peterson in 1959 and is commonly used in experiments related to attention, memory, and interference (Glanzer, 1962).
The Brown-Peterson technique requires that participants be presented with a list of stimuli (e.g., words or numbers) and then be asked to recall the items in a specific order. After a predetermined interval (typically 15-20 seconds), a distractor task is presented that requires the participant to complete a task unrelated to the stimuli presented in the list (Dunlosky & Hertzog, 2010). The distractor task is designed to interfere with the participants’ rehearsal of the list of stimuli. The participant is then asked to recall the list of items again, and the difference in the number of items recalled before and after the presentation of the distractor task is used to measure short-term memory and interference.
In addition to providing a measure of short-term memory and interference, the Brown-Peterson technique has been used to explore the effects of various types of distractors on recall performance. For example, studies have found that verbal distractors (e.g., word problems) have a greater interference effect on recall performance than nonverbal distractors (e.g., geometric shapes) (Glanzer, 1962). This finding has been replicated in studies using the Brown-Peterson technique across different age groups (Dunlosky & Hertzog, 2010).
Overall, the Brown-Peterson technique has been an invaluable tool in cognitive psychology research for over 60 years. This technique has been used to study a wide range of cognitive processes, including short-term memory, interference, and the effects of various types of distractors.
References
Dunlosky, J., & Hertzog, C. (2010). Metacognition and cognitive aging. In J. E. Birren & K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (6th ed., pp. 285–306). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Glanzer, M. (1962). Effects of interference and delay upon recall of meaningful material. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 475–482.