ABSTRACT

Why do acquired memories sometimes control behavior dramatically and yet in other cases seem to be quite ineffective as if they had not really been established originally? The famous Russian neuropsychologist, Luria, became interested in the psychological characteristics of a young news­ paper reporter, Mr. S., who reportedly forgot little or none of what he learned (Luria, 1968). A series of tests soon brought Luria to the astound­ ing conclusion that the capacity of Mr. S. for remembering events could not be quantified because it apparently had no limit! Luria found Mr. S. to be perfectly accurate in recalling, for example, the precise location and identity of 20 randomly chosen numbers in matrix form that had been presented to him once 16 years earlier.