Francis S. Bellezza

Education

Ph.D. (1970) University of Minnesota

Research

Research Area

Social Judgment & Behavioral Decision Making

Specializations

Quantitative

Dr. Bellezza is not accepting new graduate students.

Dr. Bellezza's main area of research involves applying general-processing-tree (multinomial) models to explaining the functioning of human memory. These mathematical techniques allow research to analyze complex behavior into basic cognitive mechanisms retrieval of information from memory and decision-making. Remembering is a mix of storing information, retrieving incomplete information from memory, and making decisions and judgments based on typically incomplete information.

Dr. Bellezza's multinomial model is the basis of a recent grant proposal that explores deterioration in memory as part of the aging process. Preliminary data show a good fit of the multinomial model with younger adults, and the proposal extends these findings to older adults. Specific predictions have been made that test the viability of the multinomial model versus other models that have been applied to understand memory decrements in older adults.

Publications

Bellezza, F. S. (1999). Mnemonic devices. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Inoue, C., & Bellezza, F. S. (1998). The detection model of recognition using know and remember judgments. Memory & Cognition, 26, 299-308.

Bellezza, F. S. (1996). Mnemonic methods to enhance storage and retrieval. In E. L. Bjork and R. A. Bjork (Eds.), Handbook of Perception and Cognition: Memory (2nd ed., pp. 345-380). New York: Academic Press.

Bellezza, F. S. (1995). Factors that affect vividness ratings. Journal of Mental Imagery, 19, 123-129.

Bellezza, F. S., & Bellezza, S. F. (1995). Detection of copying on multiple-choice tests: An update. Teaching of Psychology, 22, 180-182.