Minnessekvens

Minnessekvens is a term primarily used in Scandinavian cognitive science to describe a structured method for assessing the sequence of memories retrieved during psychological testing. The concept, first detailed in early 20th century Norwegian neuropsychology, focuses on how individuals recall events or items in the order in which they originally occurred or were learned.

The procedure typically involves presenting participants with a set of stimuli—such as words, pictures, or sounds—arranged in a predetermined order. After a delay, subjects are asked to reproduce the stimuli in the same order. Accuracy is measured by comparing the participants’ sequences to the original sequence. Variations exist, including altered delay intervals, interference tasks, and differences in stimulus modality, which help differentiate short‑term and long‑term memory mechanisms and evaluate working memory capacity.

Minnessekvens has found application in both clinical and research settings. Clinically, it assists in diagnosing memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and certain forms of amnesia. In research, it contributes to understanding episodic memory consolidation, the effects of sleep and stress on memory retention, and the neural correlates of sequence learning, often using neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and EEG.

Key studies have linked performance on mini‑memory sequence tasks to activity in the hippocampal formation and prefrontal cortex, underscoring the importance of both declarative and executive components. The task remains valued for its ecological validity, as many everyday memory demands—completing chores, following a recipe, remembering a phone number—require accurate sequential recall.

Minnessekvens is indexed in several databases of psychometric tests and often cited in reviews of memory assessment methodologies worldwide. Its simplicity, combined with robust sensitivity to a variety of memory impairments, renders it a widely adopted tool in contemporary cognitive psychology.