Recognition memory for verbal and nonverbal items : an investigation of experimental procedures
Date
1977
Authors
Wong, Jessie Chi-Hay
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
One scaling study and three memory experiments were carried out with verbal and nonverbal stimulus items. A total of 124 students participated in this series of studies. In Experiment I, 60 students sealed line drawings, checkerboard patterns (black-white matrices), and pseudowords along the parameters of imagery (I) and meaningfulness {m). This was done to match verbal and nonverbal items on these parameters. Thirty-six items with homogeneous ratings within ,each set were selected for Experiments 11, III, and IV.
In Experiment II, selected items and matched real words from Paivio, Yuille, and Madigan (1968) were used in a test of recognition memory. Thirty-two subjects were presented items for 500 msec. each with 4500 msec between items, and were tested with a forced choice retrieval task. Items. with high I and m ratings (real words and line drawings) were recognized better than low rated items (pseudowords and checkerboard patterns). There were no significant differences in recognition perĀformance between verbal and nonverbal items within either the high or low rated categories.
Experiment III compared performance for real words and line drawings at a faster rate of presentation, with 250 msec exposure and 1550 msec interstimulus interval. Recognition scores of 16 subjects were significantly lower than in Experiment II, but there was still no reliable difference between recognition of words and drawings.
Experiment IV presented words and drawings at the fast rate used in Experiment~ III but retention was tested with a single-item, yes/no retrieval task. Recognition memory tested by a yes/no retrieval task was significantly inferior to that tested by a forced choice procedure, but still no difference was found between recognition of words and drawings.
Overall, this study raises serious questions about procedures used in previous experiments of verbal/nonverbal memory, which may have conĀfounding effects in results reported.