Abstract
Multitrial free and serial recall tasks differ both in recall instruction and in presentation order across trials. Waugh (1961) compared these paradigms with an intermediate condition: free recall with constant presentation order. She concluded that differences between free and serial recall were due only to recall instructions, and not to presentation order. The present study reevaluated the relation between free and serial recall, using Waugh’s three conditions. By examining recall transitions and the organization of information retained across trials, we conclude that presentation order is an important factor, causing participants to exhibit the same temporal associations in serial recall and in free recall with constant presentation order.
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The first two authors contributed equally to this research, and the order of these two authors was chosen randomly. The authors acknowledge support from National Institutes of Health Grant MH55687.
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Klein, K.A., Addis, K.M. & Kahana, M.J. A comparative analysis of serial and free recall. Memory & Cognition 33, 833–839 (2005). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193078
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193078