Associative Asymmetry: Memory for Antonyms Presented Separately

Abstract

In two studies, one in English and one in Persian, subjects were asked to memorize antonymous words, e.g., heaven, hell, presented separately in random order. Similar results were obtained: (a) more single positive words were recalled than single negative words and (b) when positive members of antonymous pairs were learned before their negative opposites, more positive-negative than negative-positive pairs were recalled but, when negative members were learned first, about the same number of positive-negative and negative-positive pairs were recalled. Inherent associative asymmetry between items must be considered as well as other factors such as order of presentation.