Abstract
We investigated the dependence of retrieval-induced forgetting of verbal material from influences of word representations in semantic memory. Participants learned novel words, that is, letter strings that were non-words. These items were grouped into different artificial categories during learning. Subsequently, participants retrieval-practiced subsets of items from a part of the categories. This selective retrieval enhanced the recall of practiced items in a final memory test, but impaired memory for non-retrieved items belonging to the same categories. Retrieval-induced forgetting occurred with regard to the number of recalled items, as well as with regard to response times. The results show that episodic associations suffice for selective retrieval of verbal material to entail retrieval-induced forgetting independent of association strength between items and categories in semantic memory. The relevance of this finding for the postulate of interference dependence within the inhibitory account of retrieval-induced forgetting is discussed.
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Notes
The items were categorized according to three different principles manipulated between participants. In a first condition, the categories were the first letter of the items. In a second condition, the items were linked to meaningful labels and did not correspond in their first letters per category. In a third condition, different meaningful labels were used that started with the same letter as all items linked to the label. All labels were categories that participants probably only had very limited knowledge about (see Appendix). In the initial letters condition, instructions stated that so-called non-words, letter strings that were not words, were going to be presented. The initial letter was presented additionally to the left of the non-word. In the two conditions with meaningful labels, instructions stated that word pairs were going to be presented in which the left word was a category name and the right word an exemplar of that category. It was emphasized that only exemplars had been chosen that the participants probably would not know. Retrieval-practice success did not differ between categorizing conditions, F < 1. With regard to the test phase, categorizing condition did not moderate RIF or Rp+ enhancement, all Fs < 1.68, all ps > 0.194.
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This research was supported by grant TE 891/3-1 of the German Research Council (DFG).
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Appendix
Appendix
Items The items were categorized according to three different principles manipulated between participants. In a first condition, the categories were the first letter of the items. In a second condition, the items were linked to meaningful labels and did not correspond in their first letters per category. In a third condition, different meaningful labels were used that started with the same letter as all items linked to the label. The meaningful labels serving as category names are given in German. English translations are: gene (Gen), planktonic species (Planktonart), license plate (Autokennzeichen), Hindu god (Hindugott), chemical (Chemikalie), radio station (Radiosender), currency (Währung), migrant bird species (Zugvogelart), airport code (Flughafenkürzel), plastic (Kunststoff), illuminant (Leuchtmittel), sports club (Sportverein).
Letter string | Meaningful label with matching initial letter | Meaningful label without matching initial letter |
|---|---|---|
Filler items | ||
WIS | Währung | Gen |
WUR | Währung | Gen |
ZAT | Zugvogelart | Planktonart |
ZOD | Zugvogelart | Planktonart |
Experimental items | ||
FOJ | Flughafenkürzel | Autokennzeichen |
FEX | Flughafenkürzel | Hindugott |
FAV | Flughafenkürzel | Chemikalie |
FUM | Flughafenkürzel | Radiosender |
KEW | Kunststoff | Chemikalie |
KIG | Kunststoff | Autokennzeichen |
KUC | Kunststoff | Hindugott |
KYN | Kunststoff | Radiosender |
LAQ | Leuchtmittel | Radiosender |
LIH | Leuchtmittel | Hindugott |
LUB | Leuchtmittel | Autokennzeichen |
LYK | Leuchtmittel | Chemikalie |
SIZ | Sportverein | Radiosender |
SOF | Sportverein | Hindugott |
SUL | Sportverein | Chemikalie |
SYP | Sportverein | Autokennzeichen |
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Tempel, T., Frings, C. Interference in episodic memory: retrieval-induced forgetting of unknown words. Psychological Research 79, 795–800 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-014-0604-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-014-0604-2