Abstract
Two experiments examined the effects of various semantic-orienting tasks on immediate and delayed recall. In Experiment 1, words modified by their core or cross-situational properties (necessary adjectives) were recalled better than words modified by more peripheral properties (arbitrary adjectives). In addition, the beneficial effects of necessary adjectives seemed to be independent of the amount of cognitive analysis required for processing these adjectives. In Experiment 2, words modified by necessary adjectives were recalled better regardless of whether the adjectives were general or specific. Overall, the results are consistent with the “core meaning” notion and indicate that the quality of semantic elaboration is an important determinant of recall.
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Johnson, M. K., Hasher, L., & Hashtroudi, S.The core meaning of hypothesis and long-term retention. Unpublished manuscript, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1978.
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Experiment 2 was supported by a grant from the George Washington University Committee on Research.
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Hashtroudi, S. Type of semantic elaboration and recall. Memory & Cognition 11, 476–484 (1983). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196984
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196984