Abstract
Lists of complex sentences taken from four factual articles were arranged in either a blocked or random order. These two lists and an additional list of 16 unrelated sentences were used to investigate free recall and clustering of prose material. Information given to Ss as to the clusterable nature of the material also varied. Results showed that Ss in the informed blocked condition performed better in both immediate and delayed recall and in clustering than those in any other condition. However, a more interesting finding was that the informed random group scored significantly higher than the uninformed random group. Moreover, because the uninformed random group and the group presented with unrelated sentences did not vary significantly, it appears that cueing, and not the list structure, was the more important factor influencing recall and clustering of factual material.
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The author wishes to thank Dr. Richard Walls, whose encouragement and guidance were invaluable aids in preparing this study.
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Balser, E. The free recall and category clustering of factual material presented in complex sentences. Psychon Sci 27, 327–328 (1972). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328978
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328978