F. Hassebrock et al., WHEN LESS IS MORE - REPRESENTATION AND SELECTIVE MEMORY IN EXPERT PROBLEM-SOLVING, The American journal of psychology, 106(2), 1993, pp. 155-189
Few studies of problem-solving expertise in professional domains have
undertaken independent assessments of how domain-specific knowledge co
ntributes to the development of problem representations as well as sub
sequent memory for task information. These issues were investigated in
the present study by asking participants at three levels of training
and experience (novice, trainee, and expert) in a medical specialty to
solve two complex diagnostic problems (patient cases) selected from m
edical records of a university hospital. The subjects were also asked
to provide an incidental free recall of the patient information contai
ned in each case immediately after problem solving and one week later.
Problem representations (identified as ''lines of reasoning'') used b
y each subject in each case were determined from an analysis of thinki
ng-aloud protocols generated during problem solving. The three groups
did not differ on the overall amount of case information recalled at t
he immediate retention test and did not show selective recall for info
rmation statements that were directly relevant to the lines of reasoni
ng used during problem solving. After one week, however, the expert ph
ysicians remembered fewer information units than novices but showed se
lective retention for case information contained in the lines of reaso
ning used to reach a diagnosis. Experts also increased their recall of
specific diagnostic interpretations contained in their initial proble
m-solving experience while novices did not demonstrate evidence of the
ir problem representations in recalling case information.