Abstract
The production effect reflects a memory advantage for words read aloud versus silently. We investigated how production influences free recall of a single long list of words. In each of 4 experiments, a production effect occurred in a mixed-list group but not across pure-list groups. When compared to the pure-list groups, the mixed-list effects typically reflected a cost to silent words rather than a benefit to aloud words. This cost persisted when participants had to perform a generation or imagery task for the silent items, ruling out a lazy reading explanation. This recall pattern challenges both distinctiveness and strength accounts, but is consistent with an item-order account. By this account, the aloud words in a mixed list disrupt the encoding of item-order information for the silent words, thus impairing silent word recall. However, item-order measures and a forced-choice order test did not provide much evidence that recall was guided by retrieval of item-order information. We discuss our pattern of results in light of another recent study of the effects of production on long-list recall.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 165-176 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology-Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Experimentale |
Volume | 70 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2016 |
Keywords
- distinctiveness
- item-order account
- mixed versus pure lists
- production effect
- recall