Human memory search

The importance of understanding human memory search is hard to exaggerate: we build and live our lives based on what whe remember. This chapter explores the characteristics of memory search, with special emphasis on the use of retrieval cues. We introduce the dependent measures that are obtained during memory search, such as accuracy and search time, and discuss how these have contributed to our understanding of human memory search. The three phases of memory search (initiation, progression, and termination) are discussed in relation to the strategies employed by the human retriever. Finally, the experimental paradigms used in the memory literature are compared to examples of animal foraging behavior to identify point of contact for developing a general cross-domain understanding of search processes.