a technique used in memory studies that allows participants a brief period for remembering during which rehearsal is minimized. Typically, three items (e.g., words) are presented, after which the participant is asked to count backward for a time (as a distractor) before attempting to recall the presented items. It measures forgetting or interference in working memory. [John A. Brown; Lloyd R. Peterson (1922– ) and Margaret Jean Peterson (1930– ), U.S. psychologists]