Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Homogeneous experimental (acoustically and semantically related) and control lists were presented to different groups of subjects at either 1 s or 6 s per word. The difference score between these two lists was used as a measure of categorization. Only words in the middle serial positions (representing retrieval from secondary memory) were scored. Clustering was also measured.

Slow presentation rate significantly increased categorization of the semantically similar words. This was not true of acoustically similar words. A possible explanation of this is that semantic categorization is time-consuming and acoustic categorization is not. Alternatively, the acoustic similarity effect may be a retrieval effect. The absence of acoustic clustering would seem to fit in with this latter interpretation.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bousfield

A. K.

Bousfield

W. A.

(1966). Measurement of clustering and of sequential constancies in repeated free recall. Psychological Reports 19, 935–42.

Bousfield

W. A.

Cohen

B. H.

(1953). The effects of reinforcement on the occurrence of clustering in the recall of randomly arranged associates. Journal of Psychology 36, 67–81.

Bousfield

W. A.

Steward

J. R.

Cowan

T. N.

(1964). The use of free-association norms for the prediction of clustering. Journal of General Psychology 70, 205–14.

Bruce

Crowley

J. J.

(1970). Acoustic similarity effects on retrieval from secondary memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 9, 190–6.

Buschke

Hindrichs

J. V.

(1968). Controlled rehearsal and recall order in serial list retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology 78, 503–9.

Cohen

B. H.

(1963). An investigation of recoding in free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology 65, 368–76.

Cohen

B. H.

Sakoda

J. M.

Bousfield

W. A.

(1954). The statistical analysis of the incidence of clustering in the recall of randomly arranged associates Technical Report No. 10, University of Connecticut, Contract Nonr 631 (100.). Office of Naval Research.

Dale

H. C. A.

(1967). Familiarity and free recall. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 19, 103–8.

Glanzer

(1969). Distance between related words in free recall: trace of STS. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 8, 105–11.

10.

Murdock

B. B.

Jr (1962). The Serial position effect of free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology 64, 482–8.

11.

Norman

D. A.

(1966). Acquisition and retention in short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology 72, 369–81.

12.

Pinkus

A. L.

Laughery

K. R.

(1967). Short-term memory: Effects of Pronounciability and phonemic uniqueness of chunks. Proceedings, 75th Annual Convention APA 65–6.

13.

Pollack

Johnson

L. B.

Knaff

P. R.

(1959). Running memory span. Journal of Experimental Psychology 57, 137–46.

14.

Raymond

(1969). Short-term storage and long-term storage in free recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 8, 567–74.

15.

Sitterley

T. E.

(1968). Short-term retention of sequentially presented digits as a function of inter-digit interval, digit duration and series length. Journal of Experimental Psychology 78, 174–8.

16.

Waugh

N. C.

Norman

D. A.

(1965). Primary memory. Psychological Review 72, 89–104.

17.

Winer

B. J.

(1962). Statistical Principles in Experimental Design New York: McGraw-Hill.

The Effect of Presentation Rate on Categorization

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References