Averbach Demonstrates Experiment

Abstract/Description:	Dr. Emanuel Averbach describes the letter display and the marker system which has been used in tests of short term memory capacity and characteristics at Bell Telephone Laboratories to Miss Virginia Gregory, while Abner S. Coriell operates the controls of the display system. Dr. Averbach and Mr. Coriell presented a paper to the Spring 1960 meeting of the Optical Society of America (OSA), describing results of experiments with the equipment which have shown that the eye can "remember" much more information in a short time than would be inferred from asking a subject to "read back" information he has seen in a brief flash. Also, the information stored in the temporary memory can be allowed to fade gradually or can be erased selectively by succeeding stimuli, before the viewer is actually aware of what he has seen.
Subject(s):	Profile portraits Eyeglasses Control boards (Electrical engineering) Women in science Meetings Experiment--physics Portraits, Group Averbach, Emanuel The Optical Society (OSA)
Date Created:	Spring 1960
Credit Line:	AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection
Catalog ID:	Averbach Emanuel C1

Title:	Averbach Demonstrates Experiment.
Type of Resource:	still image
Date Created:	Spring 1960
Extent:	2 photographic prints (black and white; 7.5 x 7.75 inches)
Abstract/Description:	Dr. Emanuel Averbach describes the letter display and the marker system which has been used in tests of short term memory capacity and characteristics at Bell Telephone Laboratories to Miss Virginia Gregory, while Abner S. Coriell operates the controls of the display system. Dr. Averbach and Mr. Coriell presented a paper to the Spring 1960 meeting of the Optical Society of America (OSA), describing results of experiments with the equipment which have shown that the eye can "remember" much more information in a short time than would be inferred from asking a subject to "read back" information he has seen in a brief flash. Also, the information stored in the temporary memory can be allowed to fade gradually or can be erased selectively by succeeding stimuli, before the viewer is actually aware of what he has seen.
Identifier(s):	Averbach Emanuel C1 (Catalog ID)
Note(s):	Credit Line: AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection
Subject(s):	Profile portraits Eyeglasses Control boards (Electrical engineering) Women in science Meetings Experiment--physics Portraits, Group Averbach, Emanuel The Optical Society (OSA)
Held by:	Niels Bohr Library & Archives
Related Title:	Physics Today Collection.
In Collections:	Physics Today Collection