What happens to performance if the item category is changed in STM storage tasks?

When the item category is changed in short-term memory (STM) storage tasks, performance often rebounds because individuals can utilize different cognitive strategies or schemas that are activated by the new category. Changing the category can lead to a reorganization of the information in memory, allowing for more efficient retrieval or encoding processes. This change can refresh the cognitive resources available for processing, ultimately facilitating better performance.

When faced with a new category, the brain can engage in pattern recognition and associative retrieval, which may enhance memory performance as opposed to remaining within a single category that might be over-represented or saturated. This phenomenon highlights the flexible nature of memory and demonstrates how categorization can lead to different mnemonic strategies that can boost recall.