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Normalization in paraphrase and recall: Effects of processing, grammatical article type, and retention interval

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Abstract

Investigations of semantic normalization of discourse have not generally controlled for perceived connectiveness of materials, depth of processing, and retention interval. The current experiment investigated semantic normalization in paraphrase and recall as a function of whether sentences were paraphrased or merely copied, of whether sentences were perceived by subjects to be connected or unrelated, and of retention interval. Results indicated that significantly more normalization occurred in paraphrase than in recall, that more normalization and better recall occurred when sentences were perceived as related, and that there was more normalization and better recall when sentences were paraphrased than when they were copied. No significant differences in normalization were found as a function of retention interval. Results are discussed in terms of depth of processing and a need for learners to integrate congruent and discrepant material into cohesive entities by use of grammatical articles, article changes, and intrusions that psychologically connect unrelated sentences.

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Luftig, R.L. Normalization in paraphrase and recall: Effects of processing, grammatical article type, and retention interval. J Psycholinguist Res 11, 127–140 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01068216

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