Abstract
24 subjects learned test scores and grade point averages with r = 0, r = .7, and r = 1 in a paired-associates learning paradigm in which they were instructed to observe the relationship between the numbers and to guess those numbers they did not remember on the basis of the relationship. It was hypothesized that intermediate correlations are difficult for subjects to utilize. The r = 1 deck was easier to learn than the other two, and the r = 0 and r = .7 decks did not differ significantly. The position of the deck influenced performance only in the r = .7 deck. In that deck performance was worst when the deck occupied the first position, when the subject was presumably most influenced by the relation-seeking set instructions. The results supported the hypothesis that intermediate correlations present particular difficulties.
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