Abstract
The present experiment investigated the effects of task processing, historical knowledge of the subject matter, and retention interval on normalization rates, intrusions, and recall of thematic prose. Learners were given 16 sentences about the life and times of either Adolf Hitler or a fictitious character. Half the sentences were historically incorrect for Hitler but were not verifiable in terms of the fictitious character. Learners either paraphrased or copied the sentences verbatim and attempted to recall the sentences at either a zero retention interval or after 48 hours. Normalization and intrusion rates were strongly related to story type and retention interval, while overall sentence recall was influenced by processing task and retention interval. The results are discussed in terms of both the reconstructive schema model and the depth of processing hypothesis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartlett, F. C.Remembering. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1932.
Bobrow, S., & Bower, G. H. Comprehension and recall of sentences.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969,80, 455–461.
Bransford, J. D., & Franks, J. J. The abstraction of linguistic ideas.Cognitive Psychology, 1971,2, 331–350.
Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. Levels of processing: A framwork for memory research.Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972,11, 671–684.
Craik, F. I. M., & Tulving, E. Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 1975,104, 268–294.
Fillenbaum, S. Pragmatic normalization: Further results for some conjunctive and disjunctive sentences.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1974,102, 574–578.
Frase, L. T., Prose processing. In G. H. Bower (Ed.),The psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 9). New York: Academic Press, 1975.
Hyde, T. S., & Jenkins, J. J., Recall for words as a function of semantic, graphic, and syntactic orienting tasks.Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1973,12, 471–480.
Luftig, R. L. Normalization in paraphrase and recall: Effects of processing, grammatical article type, and retention interval.Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 1982,11, 95–182.
Luftig, R. L., & Johnson, R. E.Semantic normalization in paraphrase and recall. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, New York, 1979.
Pitchert, J. W. & Anderson, R. C. Taking different perspectives on a story.Journal of Educational Psychology, 1977,69, 309–315.
Pompi, K. F., & Lachman, R. Surrogate processes in the short-term retention of connected discourse,Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1967,75, 142–150.
Sulin, R. A., & Dooling, D. J., Intrusion of a thematic idea in retention of prose.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1974,103, 255–262.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Luftig, R.L. Effects of paraphrase and schema on intrusions, normalizations, and recall of thematic prose. J Psycholinguist Res 11, 369–380 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067587
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067587