Abstract
Seven experiments studied whether irrelevant visual stimuli (stimulus suffixes) would interfere with immediate serial recall of supraspan lists of digits presented visually. Across experiments a wide number of conditions were run, varying in method of presentation (sequential or simultaneous), rate of list presentation, and presence or absence of articulatory suppression. In no condition did a visual suffix have a significant detrimental effect on recall. These results stand in marked contrast to those found when auditory lists and suffixes have been used.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Avres, T. J., Jonioes, J., Reitman, J. S., Egan, J. C., &,Howard, D. A. (1979). Differing suffix effects for the same physical suffix.Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Learning & Memory,5, 315–321.
Campbell, R., &Dodd, B. (1980). Hearing by eye.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,21, 45–461.
Cavanaugh, J. P. (1972) Relation between the immediate memory span and the memory search rate.Psychological Review,79, 525–530.
Conrad, R. (1964). Acoustic confusions in immediate memory.British Journal of Psychology,55, 75–84.
Conrad, R., &Hull, A. J. (1968). Input modality and the serial position curve in short-term memory.Psychonomtc Science,10, 135–136.
Corballis, M. C. (1966). Rehearsal and decay in immediate recall of visually and aurally presented items.Canadian Journal of Psychology,20, 43–51.
Crowder, R. G. (1967). Prefix effects in immediate memory.Canadian Journal of Psychology,21, 268–275
Crowder, R. G. (1986). Auditory and temporal factors in the modality effect.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,12, 268–275.
Crowder, R. G., &Morton, J. (1969). Precategorical acoustic storage (PAS).Perception & Psychophysics,5, 365–373
Dallett, K. M. (1965) “Primary memory”. The effects of redundancy upon digit repetition.Psychonomic Science,3, 237–238.
Engle, R. W. (1974). The modality effect: Is precategorical acoustic storage responsible?Journal of Experimental Psychology,102, 824–829.
Frick, R. W. (1985). Testing visual short-term memory: Simultaneous versus sequential presentation.Memory &Cognition,13, 346–356.
Frick, R. W., &DeRose, A. (1986a). Attenuating the visual suffix effect with color.Memory & Cognition,14, 391–397.
Frick, R. W., &DeRose, A. (1986b) The suffix effect and preattentive unit-formation in visual short-term memory.Canadian Journal of Psychology,40, 97–108.
Gardiner, J. M. (1983). On recency and echoic memory.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London,B302, 267–282.
Greene, R. L. (1985). Constraints on the long-term modality effect.Journal of Memory & Language,24, 526–541.
Greene, R. L. (1986). Sources of recency effects in free recall.Psychological Bulletin,99, 221–228.
Greene, R. L., &Crowder, R. G. (1984). Modality and suffix effects in the absence of auditory stimulation.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior,23, 371–382.
Greene, R. L., &Crowder, R. G. (1986). Recency effects in delayed recall of mouthed stimuli.Memory & Cognition,14, 355–360.
Greene, R. L., &Samuel, A. G. (1986). Recency and suffix effects in serial recall of musical stimuli.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,12, 517–524.
Hitch, G. J. (1975). The role of attention in visual and auditory suffix effects.Memory & Cognition,3, 501–505.
Kahneman, D. (1973).Attention and effort. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Kahneman, D., &Henik, A. (1977). Effects of visual grouping on immediate recall and selective attention. In S. Dornic (Ed.),Attention and performance VI. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kahneman, D., &Henik, A. (1981). Perceptual organization and attention. In M. Kubovy & J. Pomerantz (Eds.)Perceptual organization. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Morton, J., Crowder, R. G., &Prussin, H. A. (1971). Experiments with the stimulus suffix effect.Journal of Experimental Psychology,91, 169–190.
Murray, D. J. (1966). Vocalization-at-presentation and immediate recall, with varying recall methods.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,18, 9–18.
Phillips, W. A., &Christie, D. F. M. (1977). Interference with visualization.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,29, 637–650.
Salter, D., &Colley, J. G. (1977). The stimulus suffix effect: A paradoxical effect.Memory & Cognition,5, 257–262.
Schweickert, R., &Borliff, B. (1986). Short-term memory capacity: Magic number or magic spell?Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,12, 419–425.
Spoehr, K. T., &Corin, W. J. (1978). The stimulus suffix effect as a memory coding phenomenon.Memory & Cognition,6, 583–589
Watkins, M. J. (1977). The intricacy of memory span.Memory & Cognition,5, 529–534.
Watkins, M. J., &Todres, A. K. (1980). Suffix effects manifest and concealed: Further evidence for a 20-second echo.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior,19, 46–53.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Greene, R.L. Stimulus suffixes and visual presentation. Memory & Cognition 15, 497–503 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03198383
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03198383