Dr Marie Poirier • City, University of London

Contact details

Address

Dr Marie Poirier D408 , Rhind Building [D]
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom

About
Research
Publications
Professional activities

About

Overview

Originally from Quebec, Canada, Dr Poirier obtained her PhD in 1989 from Laval University. She was a lecturer at Sherbrooke University (Canada) and then at Laval University where she became the director of the Cognitive Psychology Research Laboratory.

She moved to City in 2001, where she teaches cognitive psychology, memory, and research methods; she has set up and directed the Memory Research Unit (MRU) (now known as the Human Memory Research Group).

Teaching

Undergraduate

- PS1003 Cognitive Approaches to Mind and Behaviour (module leader)
- PS1002 Professional and Academic Skills for Psychologists (module leader: Dr Lydia Tan)
- PS3001 Honours Projects in Psychology (module leader)
- PS3004 Memory: Trends and Issues (module leader)

Postgraduate

- PSM511 Contemporary Issues in Psychological Research

Research

Dr Poirier's research interests are in the area of human memory. Previous publications have mainly been in the area of memory over the short term.

Current interests include memory over the short term, the role of memory in evaluating past experiences, and the determinants of successful retrieval - as well as memory in special populations.

She has collaborations in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia and her research has been funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council (UK).

Publications

Publications by category

Books (9)

Neath, I., Brown, G.D.A., Poirier, M. and Fortin, C. (2005). Short-term/Working Memory: The second Quebec conference on short-term/working memory. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-84169-965-3.
Poirier, M., Neath, I., Brown, G.D.A., Poirier, M. and Fortin, C. (1999). Short-Term/Working Memory. Hove: Psychology Press.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R., Perreault, K., Morizot, J., Maranda, J. and Freeston, M. (1999). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Parent Version : User’s Guide. Québec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R., Perreault, K., Morizot, J., Maranda, J. and Freeston, M. (1999). Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Parent Version. Québec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M. (1996). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Teacher Version : User’s Guide. Québec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Parent, N., Poirier, M., Freeston, M. and Tremblay, R. (1994). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Version : Validity, Reliability, and Normative Data for High School Children. Quebec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M. (1993). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Teacher Version : User’s Guide. Quebec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M. (1992). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Teacher Version. Quebec: La Jeune-Lorette.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M. (1992). Behaviour Dimensions Rating Scale - French Canadian Teacher Version : User’s Guide. Quebec: La Jeune-Lorette.

Chapters (2)

Poirier, M. and Martin, J. (2008). Working Memory and Immediate Memory in Autism Spectrum. In Boucher, J. (Ed.), Memory in autism Cambridge Univ Pr. ISBN 978-0-521-86288-2.
Neath, I., Brown, G.D.A., Poirier, M. and Fortin, C. (1999). Short-Term/Working Memory: An Overview. Short-Term/Working Memory Hove: Psychology Press.

Conference papers and proceedings (14)

Poirier, M., Saint-Aubin, J., Mair, A., Tehan, G. and Tolan, A. (2014). Semantic Networks and Order Recall in Verbal Short-Term Memory.
Pamplin, M. and Poirier, M. (2012). A Learner-Centred Induction to Moodle.
Heussen, D., Poirier, M., Hampton, J.A. and Aldrovandi, S. (2011). An effect of semantic memory on immediate memory in the visual domain. European Conference on Cognitive Science.
Poirier, M., Dhir, P., Saint-Aubin, J., Tehan, G. and Hampton, J. (2011). The Influence of Semantic Memory on Verbal Short-term Memory. European Conference on Cognitive Science.
Aldrovandi, S., Poirier, M., Kusev, P., Heussen, D. and Ayton, P. (2011). Now I like it, now I don't: Delay effects and retrospective judgment. In L. Carlson, C. Hölscher, & T. Shipley (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society.
Aldrovandi, S., Poirier, M., Heussen, D. and Ayton, P. (2009). Memory strategies mediate the relationships between memory and judgment. 31st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society.
Gagnon, S., Poirier, M. and Turcotte, J. (1997). Implicit learning and normal aging: A neuropsychological perspective. Science & Behaviour, 26.
Poirier, M. (1997). The effect of long-term memory representations on immediate serial recall: The reconstruction hypothesis. Science & Behaviour, 26.
Poirier, M., Schweickert, R. and Oliver, J. (1996). Word length, lexicality, and memory span: Is the representation duration constant?
Poirier, M. and Turcotte, J. (1996). Useful duration of the verbal short-term memory trace: Is phonological similarity a good indicator ?
Poirier, M. and Saint-Aubin, J. (1996). Semantic similarity and immediate serial recall: Is there a detrimental effect on order information?
Poirier, M. (1992). Effect of spatial suppression on visuospatial short-term processing.
Poirier, M. and Rousseau, R. Subjective Mental Workload, Attention, and Operation of a Computer Terminal.
Fortin, C., Bergeron, M., Poirier, M. and Martel, J.M. Decision Making Under Uncertainty.

Journal articles (51)

Saint-Aubin, J., Poirier, M., Yearsley, J.M., Robichaud, J.-.M. and Guitard, D. (2023). Modeling verbal short-term memory: A walk around the neighborhood. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 49(2), pp. 198–215. doi:10.1037/xlm0001226.
[publisher’s website]
Cyr, V., Poirier, M., Yearsley, J.M., Guitard, D., Harrigan, I. and Saint-Aubin, J. (2022). The production effect over the long term: Modeling distinctiveness using serial positions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 48(12), pp. 1797–1820. doi:10.1037/xlm0001093.
[publisher’s website]
Saint-Aubin, J., Guitard, D. and Poirier, M. (2022). A curved honulo improves your short-term and long-term memory. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 76(3), pp. 201–209. doi:10.1037/cep0000279.
[publisher’s website]
Aldrovandi, S., Bridger, E., Knowles, D. and Poirier, M. (2022). Retrospective and Prospective Evaluations of Mammography Screening Narratives. Experimental Psychology, 69(2), pp. 111–117. doi:10.1027/1618-3169/a000548.
[publisher’s website]
Mair, A., Poirier, M. and Conway, M.A. (2021). Age effects in autobiographical memory depend on the measure. PLOS ONE, 16(10). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259279.
[publisher’s website]
Saint-Aubin, J., Yearsley, J.M., Poirier, M., Cyr, V. and Guitard, D. (2021). A model of the production effect over the short-term: The cost of relative distinctiveness. Journal of Memory and Language, 118, pp. 104219–104219. doi:10.1016/j.jml.2021.104219.
[publisher’s website]
Schweickert, R., Dhir, P., Zheng, X. and Poirier, M. (2020). A Multinomial Processing Tree inferred from age-related memory-error probabilities: Possibility of inferring more if response times were available. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 98, pp. 102433–102433. doi:10.1016/j.jmp.2020.102433.
Sonier, R.-.P., Poirier, M., Guitard, D. and Saint-Aubin, J. (2020). A round Bouba is easier to remember than a curved Kiki: Sound-symbolism can support associative memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 27(4), pp. 776–782. doi:10.3758/s13423-020-01733-8.
[publisher’s website]
Guitard, D., Saint-Aubin, J., Poirier, M., Miller, L.M. and Tolan, A. (2020). Forward and backward recall: Different visuospatial processes when you know what’s coming. Memory & Cognition, 48(1), pp. 111–126. doi:10.3758/s13421-019-00966-w.
[publisher’s website]
Poirier, M., Yearsley, J.M., Saint-Aubin, J., Fortin, C., Gallant, G. and Guitard, D. (2019). Dissociating visuo-spatial and verbal working memory: It's all in the features. Memory & cognition, 47(4), pp. 603–618. doi:10.3758/s13421-018-0882-9.
Mair, A., Poirier, M. and Conway, M.A. (2019). Memory for staged events: Supporting older and younger adults’ memory with SenseCam. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(4), pp. 717–728. doi:10.1177/1747021818765038.
[publisher’s website]
Ward, E.V., Maylor, E.A., Poirier, M., Korko, M. and Ruud, J.C.M. (2017). A benefit of context reinstatement to recognition memory in aging: the role of familiarity processes. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 24(6), pp. 735–754. doi:10.1080/13825585.2016.1256371.
[publisher’s website]
Poirier, M., Heussen, D., Aldrovandi, S., Daniel, L., Tasnim, S. and Hampton, J.A. (2017). Reconstructing the recent visual past: Hierarchica lknowledge-based effects in visual working memory. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. doi:10.3758/s13423-017-1277-9.
Mair, A., Poirier, M. and Conway, M.A. (2017). Supporting older and younger adults’ memory for recent everyday events: a prospective sampling study using SenseCam. Consciousness and Cognition, 49, pp. 190–202. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2017.02.008.
Badham, S.P., Poirier, M., Gandhi, N., Hadjivassiliou, A. and Maylor, E.A. (2016). Aging and Memory as Discrimination: Influences of Encoding Specificity, Cue Overload, and Prior Knowledge. Psychology and Aging. doi:10.1037/pag0000126.
Bowler, D.M., Poirier, M., Martin, J.S. and Gaigg, S.B. (2016). Nonverbal short-term serial order memory in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125(7), pp. 886–893. doi:10.1037/abn0000203.
[publisher’s website]
Aldrovandi, S., Poirier, M., Kusev, P. and Ayton, P. (2015). Retrospective Evaluations of Sequences. Experimental Psychology, 62(5), pp. 320–334. doi:10.1027/1618-3169/a000301.
[publisher’s website]
Cirelli, L.K., Dickinson, J. and Poirier, M. (2015). Using Implicit Instructional Cues to Influence False Memory Induction. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 44(5), pp. 485–494. doi:10.1007/s10936-014-9301-y.
[publisher’s website]
Poirier, M., Saint-Aubin, J., Mair, A., Tehan, G. and Tolan, A. (2014). Order recall in verbal short-term memory: The role of semantic networks. Memory and Cognition, 43(3), pp. 489–499. doi:10.3758/s13421-014-0470-6.
Guerard, K., Saint-Aubin, J., Poirier, M. and Demetriou, C. (2012). Assessing the Influence of Letter Position in Reading Normal and Transposed Texts Using a Letter Detection Task. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0028494.
[publisher’s website]
Poirier, M., Nairne, J.S., Morin, C., Zimmermann, F.G.S., Koutmeridou, K. and Fowler, J. (2012). Memory as discrimination: A challenge to the encoding-retrieval match principle. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 38(1), pp. 16–29. doi:10.1037/a0024956.
Poirier, M., Martin, J.S., Gaigg, S.B. and Bowler, D.M. (2011). Short-term memory in autism spectrum disorder. J Abnorm Psychol, 120(1), pp. 247–252. doi:10.1037/a0022298.
Poirier, M., Nairne, J.S., Morin, C., Zimmerman, F., Koutmeridou, K. and Fowler, J. (2011). Memory as Discrimination: A Challenge to the Encoding-Retrieval Match Principle. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition.
Poirier, M., Gaigg, S.B. and Bowler, D.M. (2011). Memory over the short-term in Asperger's syndrome. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(1), pp. 247–252.
Martin, J.S., Poirier, M. and Bowler, D.M. (2010). Brief Report: Impaired Temporal Reproduction Performance in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, 40(5), pp. 640–646. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0904-3.
Poirier, M., Martin, J.S. and Bowler, D. (2010). Impaired temporal reproduction performance in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, pp. 440–446.
Poirier, M., Saint-Aubin, J., Musselwhite, K., Mohanadas, T. and Mahammed, G. (2007). Visual similarity effects on short-term memory for order: The case of verbally labeled pictorial stimuli. MEMORY & COGNITION, 35(4), pp. 711–723. doi:10.3758/BF03193309.
Fortin, C., Champagne, J. and Poirier, M. (2007). Temporal order in memory and interval timing: An interference analysis. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA, 126(1), pp. 18–33. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2006.10.002.
Morin, C., Poirier, M., Fortin, C. and Hulme, C. (2006). Word frequency and the mixed-list paradox in immediate and delayed serial recall. PSYCHONOMIC BULLETIN & REVIEW, 13(4), pp. 724–729. doi:10.3758/BF03193987.
Neath, I., Brown, G.D.A., Poirier, M. and Fortin, C. (2005). Short-term and worlking memory: Past, progress, and prospects. MEMORY, 13(3-4), pp. 225–235. doi:10.1080/09608210344000689.
Saint-Aubin, J. and Poirier, M. (2005). Word frequency effects in immediate serial recall: Item familiarity and item co-occurrence have the same effect. MEMORY, 13(3-4), pp. 325–332. doi:10.1080/09658213044000369.
Poirier, M., Schweickert, R. and Oliver, J. (2005). Silent reading rate and memory span. MEMORY, 13(3-4), pp. 380–387. doi:10.1080/09658210344000440.
Saint-Aubin, J., Ouellette, D. and Poirier, M. (2005). Semantic similarity and immediate serial recall: Is there an effect on all trials? PSYCHONOMIC BULLETIN & REVIEW, 12(1), pp. 171–177. doi:10.3758/BF03196364.
Turcotte, J., Gagnon, S. and Poirier, M. (2005). The effect of old age on the learning of supraspan sequences. PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING, 20(2), pp. 251–260. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.20.2.251.
Maranda, J., Morizot, J., Poirier, M., Freeston, M. and Tremblay, R. (2002). Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale -- Parent Form: Diagnostic sensitivity in an institutional setting. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 34, pp. 141–145.
Morizot, J., Maranda, J., Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M. (2002). Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale -- Parent Form: Diagnostic sensitivity in school settings. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 34, pp. 1–7.
Morizot, J., Maranda, J., Poirier, M., Tremblay, R. and Freeston, M.H. (2002). Échelle d'évaluation des dimensions du comportement destinée aux parents: Sensibilité diagnostique en contexte scolaire. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 34(1), pp. 1–7. doi:10.1037/h0087149.
[publisher’s website]
Morizot, J., Perreault, K., Poirier, M., Tremblay, R., Freeston, M. and Maranda, J. (2001). A new tool for screening and assessment of behavior problems in school-age children: Preliminary validation of the Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale -- Parent Form. Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 22, pp. 5–28.
Saint-Aubin, J. and Poirier, M. (2000). Immediate Serial Recall of Words and Non-Words: A Test of the Retrieval Based Hypothesis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 7(2), pp. 332–340.
Poirier, M., Tremblay, R., Freeston, M., Parent, N. and Morizot, J. (2000). French version of the Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale: Preliminary validation with primary and secondary student samples from Quebec. Science et Comportement, 28, pp. 223–262.
Neath, I., Brown, G.D.A., Poirier, M. and Fortin, C. (1999). Short-term/Working Memory: An Overview. International Journal of Psychology, 34, pp. 272–275.
Saint-Aubin, J. and Poirier, M. (1999). The influence of long-term memory factors on immediate serial recall: An item and order analysis. International Journal of Psychology, 34, pp. 347–352.
Saint-Aubin, J. and Poirier, M. (1999). Semantic similarity and immediate serial recall: Is there a detrimental effect on order information? The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 52A, pp. 367–394.
Schweickert, S., Poirier, M. and Chen, S. (1999). Redintegration and the Useful Lifetime of the Verbal Memory Representation. Psychologia: an international journal of psychology in the Orient, 34, pp. 447–453.
Doyon, J., Laforce, R., Bouchard, G., Gaudreau, D., Roy, J., Poirier, M. … Bouchard, J.P. (1998). Role of the striatum, cerebellum, and frontal lobes in the automatization of a repeated visuomotor sequence of movements. Neuropsychologia, 36, pp. 625–641.
Poirier, M. and Saint-Aubin, J. (1997). The influence of word function in the missing-letter effect: Further evidence from French. Memory and Cognition, 25, pp. 666–676.
Poirier, M. and Saint-Aubin, J. (1996). Immediate serial recall, word frequency, item identity and item position. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 50, pp. 408–412.
Baribeault, N., Maranda, J., Morizot, J., Poirier, M. and Verreault, J. (1996). Inter-rater reliability of the Behaviour Dimension Rating Scale - French Canadian Edition. [conference proceedings]. International Journal of Psychology, 31.
Poirier, M. and Saint-Aubin, J. (1995). Memory for Related and Unrelated Words: Further Evidence on the Influence of Semantic Factors in Immediate Serial Recall. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, 48(2), pp. 384–404. doi:10.1080/14640749508401396.
[publisher’s website]
Poirier, M. and Saint-Aubin, J. (1995). Memory for related and unrelated words: Further evidence concerning the influence of semantic factors on immediate serial recall. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 48A(2), pp. 384–404.
Loranger, M., Poirier, M. and Gauthier, D. (1984). Social Skills Assessment Questionnaire. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 15, pp. 94–114.

Poster

Saint-Aubin, J., Poirier, M., Robichaud, J.-.M. and Guitard, D. Order Recall in Verbal Short-Term Memory is Influenced by Semantic Activation. , 2016.

Working paper

Mair, A., Poirier, M. and Conway, M.A. (2018). Age effects in autobiographical memory depend on the measure.

Professional activities

Editorial activity

Memory, Associate Editor.