Prediction of Organization in Free Recall from Reported Learning Strategy

Abstract

The effect of learning strategies on amount of clustering in recall of randomized categorized word lists was investigated. Significant correlations between the degree of Ss' repotted use of the categories in learning and clustering in recall were obtained for each of 3 lists. Instructions designed to interfere with the use of the categories as a learning strategy were ineffective in lessening clustering, in part because few Ss followed the instructions. An hypothesis that Ss who reported that they had been unaware of the categories would cluster less than aware Ss was not confirmed, in part because few Ss were unaware. These results were discussed as suggestive of what happens in similar experiments.