Editing Decay theory (section)

==Future directions==

Revisions in decay theory are being made in research today. The theory is simple and intuitive, but also problematic. Decay theory has long been rejected as a mechanism of long term forgetting.<ref name="kevthree" /> Now, its place in short term forgetting is being questioned. The simplicity of the theory works against it in that supporting evidence always leaves room for alternative explanations. Researchers have had much difficulty creating experiments that can pinpoint decay as a definitive mechanism of forgetting. Current studies have always been limited in their abilities to establish decay due to confounding evidence such as attention effects or the operation of interference.<ref name="emtwo" />

===Hybrid theories===

The future of decay theory, according to Nairne (2002), should be the development of hybrid theories that incorporate elements of [[Baddeley's model of working memory|the standard model]] while also assuming that retrieval cues play an important role in short term memory.<ref>{{Cite journal| vauthors = Nairne JS |date=2002|title=Remembering Over the Short-Term: The Case Against the Standard Model |journal=[[Annual Review of Psychology]] |volume=53|issue=1|pages=53–81|doi=10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135131 |pmid=11752479}}</ref> By broadening the view of this theory, it will become possible to account for the inconsistencies and problems that have been found with decay to date.

===Neuronal evidence===

Another direction of future research is to tie decay theory to sound neurological evidence. As most current evidence for decay leaves room for alternate explanations, studies indicating a neural basis for the idea of decay will give the theory new solid support. Jonides et al. (2008) found neural evidence for decay in tests demonstrating a general decline in activation in posterior regions over a delay period.<ref name="jonref">{{cite journal | vauthors = Jonides J, Lewis RL, Nee DE, Lustig CA, Berman MG, Moore KS | title = The mind and brain of short-term memory | journal = Annual Review of Psychology | volume = 59 | issue = 1 | pages = 193–224 | date = 2008 | pmid = 17854286 | pmc = 3971378 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093615 }}</ref> Though this decline was not found to be strongly related to performance, this evidence is a starting point in making these connections between decay and neural imaging. 
A model proposed to support decay with neurological evidence places importance on the firing patterns of neurons over time.<ref name="jonref" /> The neuronal firing patterns that make up the target representation fall out of synchrony over time unless they are reset. The process of resetting the firing patterns can be looked at as rehearsal, and in absence of rehearsal, forgetting occurs. This proposed model needs to be tested further to gain support, and bring firm neurological evidence to the decay theory.<ref name="jonref" />